Ex-Cavs GM David Griffin Collapsed in Tears After Cleveland Signed LeBron James

Griffin collapsed due to the pressure of building a championship roster around James.

Former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin collapsed on the floor in tears after LeBron James announced he was returning to Cleveland, but not out of joy nor excitement, according to Sports Illustrated's Jake Fischer. 

Griffin was reportedly "overwhelmed" by the pressure of building a championship roster immediately after James signed with Cleveland in July 2014. The Cavaliers were in the midst of a rebuild the season prior, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.

"The reason is LeBron is getting all the credit and none of the blame. And that’s not fun for people,” Griffin told Fischer. “They don’t like being part of that world.”

Griffin succeeded in building a title contender around James. The Cavs reached the Finals in three-straight seasons before Griffin left the franchise, winning the first championship in franchise history in 2016. 

Griffin worked as an analyst for NBA TV in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He was hired as the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations in April.