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Israeli-American basketball coach and executive
First Israeli and European head coach in NBA history, leading Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals in his debut season.
David Blatt is an Israeli-American basketball executive, former coach and player. He led Maccabi Tel Aviv to the 2014 EuroLeague title, became the first Israeli head coach in the NBA with Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, and guided Russia to the 2007 EuroBasket championship. He is a 4-time Israeli Super League Coach of the Year (1996, 2002, 2011, 2014) and 2014 EuroLeague Coach of the Year.
Blatt grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts and was class president at Framingham South High School. He played point guard at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 under coach Pete Carril, graduating with a B.A. in English literature with a thesis on Bernard Malamud. He won gold with Team USA at the 1981 Maccabiah Games, then immigrated to Israel and served in the IDF.
Blatt is the son of inventor William F. Blatt and Lillian Siegal Blatt, and is Jewish. He married Kineret from Netanya in 1991, a former Israeli professional basketball player he coached. They have four children: twin daughters Shani and Adi (both served in the Israeli army), daughter Ela, and son Tamir Blatt (born 1997, a professional basketball player).
Led Russia to their first ever EuroBasket championship in 2007 with a 60-59 victory over Spain
Won EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2014 with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Became the third coach ever to win all three major European basketball competitions (EuroLeague, EuroCup, FIBA Cup)
Led Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals but was fired mid-season in 2016 despite having the best record in the Eastern Conference
In 2023 was chosen to light a torch at Mount Herzl for Israel's 75th Independence Day
Spent the summer of his Princeton sophomore year playing for Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, calling it a life-changing experience
In Israel I became much more Jewish and much more Zionist
The summer at Kibbutz Gan Shmuel turned out to be a life-changing experience
Won gold medal with Team USA at Maccabiah Games and immigrated to Israel
Named Israeli Super League Coach of the Year for the first time with Hapoel Galil Elyon
Won SuproLeague title with Maccabi Tel Aviv as assistant coach
Won EuroLeague championship with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 44-point final victory
Won FIBA EuroCup and Russian Super League Coach of the Year with Dynamo Saint Petersburg
Led Russia to historic first EuroBasket championship with 60-59 victory over Spain
Won bronze medal with Russia at EuroBasket and reached EuroLeague Final with Maccabi Tel Aviv
Won bronze medal with Russia at London Olympics
Won EuroLeague championship and Coach of the Year with Maccabi Tel Aviv, signed with Cleveland Cavaliers
Led Cleveland Cavaliers to NBA Finals in his first NBA season
Won EuroCup championship with Darussafaka, became third coach to win all three major European titles