By Antonis Stroggylakis / astroggylakis@eurohoops.net
Jakarta, Indonesia – European basketball great David Blatt visited the Canadian national team in Jakarta, Indonesia during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He has been a general consultant of the team over the last three years.
“From my experience in FIBA Basketball, from my basketball coaching past and my experience in basketball in general,” Blatt said. “I’m a part of a great organization and I’m happy to be a part of what we’re trying to accomplish here with Canada basketball. And that’s becoming a team of the highest level in the FIBA scene and performing well in all competitions we’re part in.”
Blatt, who has been battling PPMS (Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis) this last couple of years, attended the Canadian team practice ahead of the game against Latvia and was in high spirits.
After the end of the practice and as the Canadian players were doing some shootaround, Blatt began watching the World Cup game between Team USA and Greece. He worked in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki in 2010 and as head coach of EuroLeague powerhouse Olympiacos Piraeus from 2018 to October 2019 when he stepped down due to his health condition.
Blatt led an extremely successful career as head coach, winning titles and championships on pretty much every level, including the EuroLeague, EuroCup, EuroChallenge and three domestic leagues (Italian, Israeli and ABA). He also coached the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014 to 2016.
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One of Blatt’s crowning achievements included the 2007 EuroBasket trophy with Russia. In 2011, he coached the Russian side to the bronze medal in the EuroBasket and the next year he led the team to third place in the Olympic Games.
Canada will complete the Group stage vs. Latvia. Both squads are 2-0 after wins over France and Lebanon and have advanced to the next phase of the competition.