Tom Izzo and LeBron James Would Be an Odd Couple For Cleveland Caveliers
It seemed to be just another instance of flirtation between a college coach and an NBA team, with the side plot of a certain player's contract renegotiation.
But it has turned out to be serious business, as the Cleveland Cavaliers are attempting to bring together one of the best college basketball coaches of all-time, Tom Izzo, with MVP LeBron James.
Michigan State's Tom Izzo has won a national championship and taken his team to six Final Fours in the last 12 years. LeBron James has carried the Cavaliers on his back to some success as well, averaging 29.7 points per game and leading Cleveland to two straight 60-win seasons.
So, you would think that Izzo and LeBron would be a match made in heaven, right? Wrong.
First off, Tom Izzo is a college coach.
In college basketball, coaches run the game. But the NBA is a player’s league.
So, if Izzo thinks that he will have the type of authority that he has over his players at MSU when it comes to the likes of LeBron James, he’s only kidding himself.
Secondly, Izzo is known around the NCAA for his hard-nose coaching style. He’s a no-nonsense type of guy that will not tolerate ostentatious behavior.
So, how do you think he’ll feel once James starts throwing powder in the air and the rest of the Cavaliers start with their elaborate and unnecessary handshakes?
The two match up well on paper, but if James and Izzo end up together they will soon realize that their personalities do not mesh.
It is a perfect dichotomy of flamboyancy and authoritarianism. In fact, bringing these two together would probably be like those strange Comcast commercials with Shaquille O’Neil and Ben Stein.
The Cleveland Cavaliers need to decide which one they want the most, for the sake of both Izzo and James’ careers.
But in reality, neither really has a bright future in Cleveland.
Bringing Izzo in to coach the Cavs won’t give James the supporting cast he needs on the court. A coach can’t work miracles in the NBA, not like in college at least.
Like I said before, it is a player’s league. And unless the Cavs decide to play Izzo, they’d be better off leaving him in the college ranks.
