“I just stood there and listened” – Ex-Cavs coach sheds light on EMBARASSING lack of help 21-year-old LeBron James had during first stint in Cleveland

A former head coach of Cleveland discusses allowing LeBron James to take charge during their playoff journey to the NBA Finals in 2007.

“I just stood there and listened” – Ex-Cavs coach sheds light on EMBARASSING lack of help 21-year-old LeBron James had during first stint in Cleveland

LeBron James and Mike Brown (via Cleveland.com)

LeBron James has had a long and storied career. He has played 1,426 games in his 20-year career and continues to perform at a high level without any sign of stopping. Having played with three different teams, he has won championships with all three. LeBron has worked with multiple coaches, and many of them have mentioned allowing him to do his thing.

One such incident was recounted by former Cleveland Cavaliers coach and reigning Coach of the Year award winner Mike Brown, who coached LeBron for five seasons from 2005-2010. During a recent appearance on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Brown shared an incident when he let LeBron James take charge.

He described a situation where Assistant Coach Michael Malone was attempting to devise an offensive scheme for the team, but Coach Brown halted him and directed the team to allow LeBron to lead. Brown expressed: 

Woah, no, no, we ain't f***ing with LeBron right now.

Recognizing the talent in his team and even after receiving suggestions from his assistant, Brown acknowledged LeBron’s dominance at that moment and allowed him to lead. He mentioned: 

So, I went back into the huddle, and LeBron was saying something. I just stood there and listened.

Mike Brown talks about how LeBron James made his coaching job at Cleveland a lot easier

LeBron James is a once-in-a-generation talent. He immediately made an impact in Cleveland as soon as he stepped on the court for the team.

Mike Brown talks about how LeBron James made his coaching job at Cleveland a lot easier
LeBron James and Mike Brown (via Bleacher Report)

Coach Mike Brown talked about how LeBron made his coaching job a lot easier in Cleveland, saying:

Even though we had a lot of success because we had LeBron James, he was still growing and learning too. But he made my job a lot easier.

During Brown’s tenure as head coach, LeBron and the Cavs secured back-to-back playoff appearances and even made an NBA Finals appearance in 2007. LeBron also earned back-to-back MVP seasons in Cleveland in 2009 and 2010, enabling the team to achieve success despite having a weak supporting cast around him.

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