David Griffin: Running the Cleveland Cavaliers Wasn't Fun, Made Me Miserable

New Orleans Pelicans general manager David Griffin won the Zion Williamson lottery and, after the Anthony Davis trade, has a fresh new start ahead for both him and the franchise. In short, he’s in a far better mental state now than he was when he was a few years ago as general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Griffin revealed his struggles, which culminated in him crying in a broom closet after the Cavs’ remarkable comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

“Everything we did was so inorganic and unsustainable and, frankly, not fun. I was miserable,” Griffin says. “Literally the moment we won the championship I knew I was gonna leave. There was no way I was gonna stay for any amount of money.”

“I didn’t watch the league, and I didn’t love the game anymore,” Griffin says. “I was so fixated on outcome that I just totally lost my joy.”

The pressures of that job were obvious. Dealing with and/or replacing LeBron James is tough sledding. The city was desperate for a championship.

But it’s also a reminder that everyone involved in sports is a person dealing with their own unique blend of challenges. Griffin details the struggles he and his wife had trying to have a child, and it’s powerful.

One never really knows what’s going on behind the scenes until a player, coach, or owner opens up and gives a peek behind the curtain.