During their time together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, head coach Tyronn Lue and superstar forward LeBron James were able to lead the team to its first NBA title while defying the odds against a stacked Golden State Warriors team.
Although there seemed to be nothing but respect between Lue and James, the player-coach relationship in Cleveland didn’t last as long as many would’ve thought it would, especially after winning it all in 2016.
However, when James went to the Los Angeles Lakers, an effort was made to hire the one-time NBA champion head coach.
The deal came down to the wire and nearly seemed like a done deal before it fell apart, which forced the Lakers to pivot and hire Frank Vogel instead, which resulted in the Lakers winning it all in the NBA bubble in 2020.
Even though Lue and James were unable to reunite, with the former Cavaliers head coach taking the job with the Los Angeles Clippers, the two have maintained a close relationship, which he elaborated on recently via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
"That's my guy. We had some great years in Cleveland together, won a championship, brought a championship to Cleveland… He has a lot of responsibility for my career. First it was Doc, who believed in me first… And then LeBron, being able to coach him and teach me on the fly."… pic.twitter.com/W71G4oaLO3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 22, 2024
Lue seems to be in an ideal situation right now with the Clippers, as his team has been on the rise as of late following the blockbuster trade to acquire superstar guard James Harden to join Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Kawhi Leonard.
The same can’t be said for James, who is dealing with an inconsistent Lakers team that could be headed for disaster this season if they can’t figure out how to get back on track.
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