Former Michigan Wolverines head coach John Beilein isn’t exactly having the most ideal first season in the NBA.
Earlier this season, Beilein was faced with reports that his team was allegedly already tuning him out after only a few months on the job, a report that was later challenged by his players.
And now, he’s in the spotlight again.
During a film session with the Cavs, Beilein allegedly told them they were no longer “playing like a bunch of thugs.” He would later clarify his comments, saying that he misspoke and meant to say “slugs”.
“I didn’t realize that I had said the word ‘thugs,’ but my staff told me later I did and so I must have said it,” Beilein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday night. “I meant to say slugs, as in slow-moving. We weren’t playing hard before, and now we were playing harder. I meant it as a compliment.”
Before tonight’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Beilein said that the players understand his angle and that he’s personally talked to them to explain the misunderstanding.
“They are telling me that they understand,” Beilein said.
The Cavs are a mere 10-27 on the season.
