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After Princeton, Blatt helped lead the U.S. team to the gold medal at the Maccabiah Games in Israel in 1981, then was trying to decide what to do next. He came back to the States. "I think David worked for Xerox for six months or something like that," Steve Mills said. "He called me one day and said 'I can't do this anymore. I'm going back over there to play.'" NBA.com

Coaching, Russia, Olympics, David Blatt 

It would also be a rematch of the matchup between the United States and Russia in the 2010 World Championships in Turkey, a game whose buildup was made spicier when Blatt and U.S. Coach Mike Krzyzewski had dueling press conference exchanges. Blatt had said then that, after watching a documentary on the controversial game, he'd come to believe that the Soviets had won the game fairly. NBA.com

Coaching, Russia, Mike Krzyzewski, Olympics, David Blatt 

Told of Blatt's comments, Krzyzewski first said that Blatt had that viewpoint because Blatt was Russian (he isn't), and then said that the '72 game would always be a negative memory for Americans and "somewhat of a positive for those who believe in fairy tales." NBA.com

Coaching, Russia, Mike Krzyzewski, Olympics, David Blatt 

"I've known him for many, many years," Blatt said. "He coached against my Princeton team at the Aloha Classic in Hawaii in 1980. He was a rookie coach for Army, and I was playing for Princeton. I've known this guy forever. It cleared up as soon as it was over. A lot of it was grandstanding between the two of us -- moreso on his part. I was coming from a place where my message, I had hoped, was that the world changes and we view history a little bit differently when you have perspective. And Coach K jumped on it as a motivating factor for his team. OK. He was doing what he had to do for his unit. But no, we haven't had any problem. Hell, I talked to him this summer about players ... we're fine." NBA.com

Coaching, Russia, Mike Krzyzewski, Olympics, David Blatt 

Ian Whittell: David Blatt, the man who (might have) said GB shouldnt be in the Olympic tournament is now going out of his way to say nice things about us Twitter

Coaching, Russia, Great Britain, Olympics, David Blatt 

Ian Whittell: Chris Finch: "I have things in the States I need 2 concentrate on. I've enjoyed it and I'd like to stay involved in some capacity but I'm not sure what my future commitments will allow ... " Lets hope he can sign off with a W in the BBL derby v Bob Donewald and China. Twitter

Coaching, Russia, Great Britain, Olympics, David Blatt, Chris Finch 

Jerry Zgoda: Best explanation I've heard yet for Shved's performance comes from Russian coach Dave Blatt, who used an Icarus analogy after today's game Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Russia, Olympics, David Blatt, Alexey Shved 

Marc Stein: Russia coach David Blatt on Kirilenko & Shved vs. Team GB: "If I'm the Minnesota Timberwolves ... I've got a big, fat smile on my face." Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Andrei Kirilenko, Russia, Olympics, David Blatt, Alexey Shved 

Russian point guard Alexey Shved should wait another year before accepting any offers from NBA teams, the coach of the Russian national team (David Blatt) said Tuesday. RIA Novosti

David Blatt, Alexey Shved, Free Agent 

Blatt compared Shved’s situation to that of Jeremy Pargo, whom he coached at Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv before Pargo moved to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2011 but failed to break into the team. “I told him ‘You need to wait one more season, to be a lead player another year before you make the jump.’ He went, he didn’t play a minute the whole season, he didn’t even dress in the playoffs,” Blatt said. RIA Novosti

Memphis Grizzlies, David Blatt, Jeremy Pargo, Alexey Shved, Free Agent 

Shved’s Russia teammate Andrei Kirilenko moved in the opposite direction in 2011, moving from the Utah Jazz to CSKA during the NBA lockout before deciding not to return to the United States. Kirilenko’s decision came as a surprise, Blatt said. "I didn’t see it happen. I thought he would end up back in the NBA,” he said. “Once he saw he that he was such a big part of the team, that he was happy in his environment and he was close to the team, he decided he wanted to stay and to finish what he started, which I thought was very admirable.” RIA Novosti

Andrei Kirilenko, David Blatt 

Blatt added that Shved and Kirilenko are both likely to feature in Russia’s campaign at the Olympic basketball qualifying tournament in Venezuela in July. RIA Novosti

Andrei Kirilenko, Russia, David Blatt, Alexey Shved 

David Blatt on Kirilenko: “Have you ever been a horse trainer? Andrei is like a beautiful, wild horse. He’s best when he’s roaming around and running free. We ask him to play within the system, but honestly his best moments are when he’s doing what his heart and his instincts are telling him to do. Most of his great plays, they come not from the structure, but from the mind and the beautiful kind of talent he has. The lucky thing is that’s he’s not a selfish man, he is not a greedy player, he plays for the team.” SheridanHoops

Utah Jazz, FIBA, Andrei Kirilenko, Russia, David Blatt, Eurobasket 

"For a child who grew up in the Cold War, and to be Jewish and American and Israeli all at the same time, when you find yourself as head coach of the Russian national team, it's not just ironic, it's downright amazing when you think about it," (David Blatt) says. "But for me, it's been a great experience on a cultural level, a human level and a political level." ESPN.com

Coaching, Russia, David Blatt 

"Being part of that country, with my background, and feeling I have contributed is amazing," he says. But last fall, after a world championship in which Russia lost to the United States in the quarterfinals, he came close to calling it quits. There was talk of interference from the oligarchs who control Russia's largest clubs, allegations that they were ordering their players to sit out rather than represent. "I threatened to leave but that was to make a point and to try and engender some change," he says. That he is still in charge here in Lithuania as the latter stages of this year's EuroBasket begin indicates that the issues have been resolved. ESPN.com

Coaching, Russia, David Blatt 

"I've been approached [by NBA teams] but never for the kind of position that I would need in order to make the jump. ... If someone feels I can lead an NBA team, or be a guy who might ultimately down the road be a head coach, then that would be of interest. Otherwise, coaching Maccabi Tel Aviv is too good a job and too satisfying to walk away from. I'm at the top of the world with the guys I work with, the organizations I work for, the international competitions I participate in with Russia. Where do I need to go? I'm as happy as I can be." ESPN.com

Coaching, Russia, David Blatt 

“Today’s game was very important on two levels,” said Russia’s American coach, David Blatt. “First we wanted very badly to qualify and we did that. Secondly and more importantly, we played the game in memory of the hockey team from Yaroslavl. As sportsmen, they are our brothers and sisters. “We played the game with passion ... and with a way of working hard, demonstrating the qualities of sportsmen that honour their memory. That was what the game was more about than anything else.” Toronto Star

FIBA, Russia, David Blatt, Eurobasket 

After the game, though, Blatt and Kryzewski no doubt came down with sore digits with all the handshakes and pats on the back they gave it each other. Krzyzewski started out by saying Blatt is a "terrific coach'' who's "had an amazing career coaching in Russia.'' Blatt followed by lauding Krzyzewski and by bringing up an interesting point about his five years at the helm for Team USA. "I think that one of the things I most appreciate is what's happened with U.S. basketball under the guidance of Coach K and his people is they have recognized and realized how to play the European game and at the same time still maintain the elements and the advantages that the Americans players, the American game have to offer them,'' Blatt said. FanHouse.com

USA Basketball, Russia, David Blatt 

The Americans figured out the pick-and-rolls the Russians were running with success when they took a 35-30 lead early in the second quarter. At the same time, they were turning loose Durant, who ended up playing 37 minutes. "I learned in coaching you should give your best player the ball a lot of times to make you look good as a coach,'' Krzyzewski said. "Probably the worst coaching move would have been to take him out of the game.'' FanHouse.com

USA Basketball, Russia, Mike Krzyzewski, David Blatt 

After Mike Krzyzewski’s insinuation that Russian coach David Blatt was less than patriotic for suggesting the United States hadn’t been cheated out of a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics, Blatt fired back at the Team USA coach on Thursday morning. “I think Mike’s overlooked the fact that I’m every bit as much of an American as him,” Blatt told Yahoo! Sports at his team’s hotel. “In America, we’re taught that freedom of speech and freedom of thought allow us to try and view things objectively, form our own opinions and express them. “The ability to do that without risking it being called an act of un-patriotism may be lost upon him.” Yahoo! Sports

USA Basketball, Russia, Mike Krzyzewski, David Blatt