The Cleveland Cavaliers had a great regular season last year before being upset by the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs. This year, Cleveland is looking to take things a step further and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since the departure of LeBron James.
However, the coaching staff will be down a key member, as one of the Cavs’ top assistants is departing to take a head coaching role in the WNBA, according to ESPN.
“The Portland Fire have hired Alex Sarama, an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the WNBA expansion franchise’s inaugural head coach, the team and Sarama told (Ramona Shelburne),” ESPNW reported.
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Not confusing at all that the Fire hired someone. So he’s Fire-d? Just wait til he gets fired. Fire fire coach. Fired by the Fire. Fire fired,” one person wrote on Twitter.
“Dude is so gonna get fired after 1 season. Expansion teams are probably gonna expect natalie nakase/valks type of results from now on,” someone else added.
“The WNBA hiring more and more male coaches is self sabotage. Not only are they statistically the worst coaches in the WNBA, you’re just actively refusing to hire women to coach women’s sports,” one fan wrote.
It’ll be interesting to see how Sarama does in his first season at the helm.