CLEVELAND — Byron Scott fondly remembers winning championships with his hometown Lakers.
The new coach of the Cavaliers says he’s confident LeBron James will choose to contend for NBA titles near his roots too.
“There’s nothing like winning at home,” Scott said Friday afternoon at the team’s practice facility.
Scott said he didn’t try to contact James, respecting his privacy, but spoke to people close to him to gauge what he’s like as a person.
“I think at the end of the day, he’s going to make the right decision and he’ll be here in Cleveland for the rest of his career,” Scott said. “His legacy of winning championships in his hometown will be like nothing he’s seen in his life.”
As a coach, Scott led New Jersey to the 2002 and 2003 NBA Finals before going on to coach the New Orleans Hornets for five-plus seasons.
He was selected the NBA coach of the year in 2008 when the Hornets won a franchise- record 56 games and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals. He has a 352-355 record in the regular season and 33-24 in the playoffs.
“The coaching search has gone great because we ended up with the right guy,” said general manager Chris Grant, who declined to confirm reports that Scott signed a four-year deal.
Union presents proposal
NEW YORK — The NBA players’ union has sent a proposal for a new labor agreement to the league, an official with knowledge of the bargaining process said.
The proposal was delivered Thursday, although no details were provided by the official, on condition of anonymity because the sides aren’t commenting publicly.
The NBA has been awaiting a counterproposal from the players since all-star weekend.
