The Los Angeles Clippers have repeatedly fallen short of expectations.
They were supposed to be the ruling force in the Western Conference, yet Kawhi Leonard’s constant injuries have kept them away from the NBA Finals.
More than that, his status as a part-time player has often been pointed out as a potential explanation behind their shortcomings, as the team has failed to develop chemistry with him on and off the court.
That’s why coach Tyronn Lue has gone the extra mile to try and make the team better and finally live up to the hype.
As a matter of fact, ClutchPoints’ Tomer Azarly recently reported that Lue had missed seven funerals this season alone just to try and stay focused in the season, with plenty of fans reacting to this shocking admission:
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said he lost 7 family members since December back home in Missouri, but wasn’t been able to make it to any of the funerals because the team was struggling at the same time.
(@thepivot) pic.twitter.com/K39iDg0u6o
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 27, 2023
Hard to explain what it’s like being a coach or a teacher but our lives revolve around our player and students 🤙🏽🤙🏽
— Charlie Max Torres (@bucketsworth) March 27, 2023
you too locked in t lue
— Travonne Edwards (@Travonne) March 27, 2023
❤️💔💙Ty Lue is a good man.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) March 27, 2023
This man definitely needs a break‼️
— Panos Balian 🇺🇸🇱🇧🇦🇲 (@PBalian11) March 27, 2023
Tough situation. pic.twitter.com/Dwsgrn0aBl
— luis ace (@luisace82) March 27, 2023
The Clippers are currently sitting on a 39-36 record, which is good for the fifth spot in the Western Conference, but they could still pass the Phoenix Suns to try and get homecourt advantage over them in a first-round series.
There’s no denying that they’ll be one of the teams to beat in the West with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they’re stacked with talent at every single position.
So, there will be no more room for excuses for Steve Ballmer’s team this time around, and Lue has led by example by putting basketball first and foremost over every other thing in his life.
Now, it’ll be up to the players to also step up and prove that they want a championship as much as their coach does.
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