Wikipedia

Tyronn Lue

Tyronn Jamar Lue (/təˈrɒn ˈluː/ tə-RON LOO;[1] born May 3, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He formerly served as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping them win their first and only NBA title.

Tyronn Lue
Lue as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022
Los Angeles Clippers
PositionHead coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1977-05-03) May 3, 1977 (age 47)
Mexico, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolRaytown (Raytown, Missouri)
CollegeNebraska (1995–1998)
NBA draft1998: 1st round, 23rd overall pick
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career1998–2009
PositionPoint guard
Number10
Coaching career2009–present
Career history
As player:
1998–2001Los Angeles Lakers
2001–2003Washington Wizards
2003–2004Orlando Magic
2004Houston Rockets
2004–2008Atlanta Hawks
2008Dallas Mavericks
2008–2009Milwaukee Bucks
2009Orlando Magic
As coach:
2011–2013Boston Celtics (assistant)
2013–2014Los Angeles Clippers (assistant)
2014–2016Cleveland Cavaliers (associate HC)
2016–2018Cleveland Cavaliers
2019–2020Los Angeles Clippers (assistant)
2020–presentLos Angeles Clippers
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Career NBA statistics
Points4,710 (8.5 ppg)
Rebounds943 (1.7 rpg)
Assists1,727 (3.1 apg)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Assistant coach for  United States
Men's national basketball team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Team

A former point guard, Lue played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers before being selected by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft with the 23rd overall pick. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers shortly thereafter. As a member of the Lakers, Lue won two NBA championships in his first three seasons.

After his playing career ended in 2009, Lue became Director of Basketball Development for the Boston Celtics.[2] In 2014, he was hired by the Cavaliers as associate head coach. Lue was promoted to head coach during the 2015–16 season, replacing the fired David Blatt.[3] That same season, Lue coached the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship and became one of the few rookie coaches in the NBA to ever lead his team to a title. Lue coached the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons; in both seasons, the Cavaliers were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Lue was fired by Cleveland in October 2018. Lue went on to be the head coach of the Clippers and led them to their first Conference finals appearance in franchise history.

High school and college career

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Lue graduated from Raytown Senior High School in Raytown, Missouri.[4] He later attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where he played basketball and studied sociology. Lue was a key member of the 1995–96 team that won the 1996 National Invitation Tournament, defeating Saint Joseph's University in the finals.[5] He finished his Cornhuskers career ranked third all-time in assists (432), fourth in three-pointers made (145) and attempted (407), fifth in steals (154) and seventh in scoring (1,577). Lue led Nebraska in assists in each of his three seasons and finished his career tied with Dave Hoppen for most games with 30 or more points (7). He declared for the NBA draft after his junior season.

Professional career

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Los Angeles Lakers (1998–2001)

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Lue opted for early entry into the 1998 NBA draft. He was selected 23rd overall by the Denver Nuggets but was traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers with Tony Battie in exchange for Nick Van Exel. His first three years with the Lakers were disappointing. His playing time was limited and he suffered from injuries in 2000.

Lue excelled in the 2001 playoffs. Due to his quickness, he was specifically used to guard Allen Iverson during Game 1 of the Finals. In a memorable moment in Game 1, Iverson executed a crossover and made a shot in front of Lue, then stepped over him.[6] Although the 76ers won Game 1, the Lakers won the next four and the NBA championship, with Lue appearing in each NBA Finals game.[7]

Washington Wizards (2001–2003)

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In the off-season of 2001, Lue signed with the Washington Wizards, where he got considerably more playing time and subsequently became a better point guard.

Orlando Magic (2003–2004)

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Lue played with the Orlando Magic in 2003–04 and had a lot of minutes alongside Tracy McGrady, but the team had the worst record in the NBA that season: 21–61.

Houston Rockets (2004)

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After the season concluded, Lue, McGrady, Juwan Howard, and Reece Gaines were traded to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. In Houston, Lue saw a notable decrease in playing time due to the overabundance of point guards on the Rockets' roster.

Atlanta Hawks (2004–2008)

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Lue was traded mid-season to the Atlanta Hawks for Jon Barry. Lue starred in Atlanta, although again his team had the worst record in the NBA and their worst record in franchise history: 13–69.

On August 30, 2005, Lue re-signed with the Hawks.[8]

Dallas Mavericks (2008)

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On February 16, 2008, Lue was acquired by the Sacramento Kings in a trade that sent Mike Bibby to the Hawks. He was waived by the Kings on February 28, 2008, without playing a game for them. After clearing waivers, Lue signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks on March 4.[9]

Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2009)

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On July 17, 2008, Lue was signed by the Milwaukee Bucks.[10]

Return to the Magic (2009)

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On February 5, 2009, Lue was traded back to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Keith Bogans and cash considerations.[11] In Lue's final year as an NBA player, the Dwight Howard-led Magic advanced to the 2009 Finals but lost to Lue's former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Coaching career

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Boston Celtics (2011–2013)

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On October 23, 2009, the Boston Celtics named Lue director of basketball development.[2] He became an assistant on Celtics' head coach Doc Rivers' staff in 2011–12.[12]

Los Angeles Clippers (2013–2014)

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In July 2013, Lue joined the Los Angeles Clippers' coaching staff.[13]

Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2018)

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On June 23, 2014, Lue joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as associate head coach, becoming the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA. Lue had been a top candidate for the Cavaliers' head coaching job, which eventually went to David Blatt.[14]

On January 22, 2016, Lue was named head coach of the Cavaliers immediately following the mid-season firing of Blatt.[15] He was signed to a three-year contract.[3] Lue coached the Cavaliers to an NBA championship that spring. In May, the Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, continuing their unbeaten streak in the 2016 playoffs and making Lue the first coach in NBA history to win his first 10 postseason games.[16] Eight days later, Lue led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, becoming one of the few coaches to reach the Finals after becoming head coach in midseason. On June 19, 2016, the Cavaliers won their first NBA championship. Lue became the second rookie head coach in two years to win the title, the third head coach (along with Paul Westhead in 1979–80 and Pat Riley in 1981–82) to win a championship after becoming head coach in midseason, and the 14th person to have won an NBA championship as a head coach and as a player.[17][18]

In the 2016–17 NBA season, Lue coached the Cavaliers to a 51–31 record. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers went 12–1 heading into the 2017 NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in five games.

On March 19, 2018, Lue announced that he would take a leave of absence from coaching the Cavaliers, citing recurrent chest pain.[19] Lue returned to coach before the regular season ended and helped the Cavaliers reach the 2018 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Warriors in four games.

Lue's coaching style in Cleveland relied on flexibility and LeBron James's consistency; he shuffled players around James to adjust to matchups. In 2016, his Finals team followed the Warriors' own blueprint to beat them. According to one writer, Lue's teams can look undisciplined and unprepared in the regular season, but in the playoffs, he has been praised for his ability to "think several moves ahead and create matchup advantages".[20] At the 2016 ESPY Awards, Lue was named Best Coach/Manager and the Cavaliers were named Best Team.

On October 28, 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers fired Lue after an 0–6 start to the season.[21]

Return to the Clippers (2019–present)

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After Cleveland fired him, Lue worked in an informal role with Doc Rivers, who was now the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers.[22] Prior to the 2019–20 season, Lue was named the lead assistant coach on Rivers' staff.[23]

On October 20, 2020, Lue was promoted to Clippers head coach after Rivers' departure.[24] In his first season, Lue led the Clippers to the Western Conference finals, their first conference finals appearance in franchise history,[25] but lost to the Phoenix Suns in six games.

On May 29, 2024, Lue agreed to a 5-year contract of almost $70 million to return as the head coach of the Clippers. [26][27]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1998–99 L.A. Lakers 15 0 12.5 .431 .438 .571 .4 1.7 .3 .0 5.0
1999–2000† L.A. Lakers 8 0 18.3 .487 .500 .750 1.5 2.1 .4 .0 6.0
2000–01† L.A. Lakers 38 1 12.3 .427 .324 .792 .8 1.2 .5 .0 3.4
2001–02 Washington 71 0 20.5 .427 .447 .762 1.7 3.5 .7 .0 7.8
2002–03 Washington 75 24 26.5 .433 .341 .875 2.0 3.5 .6 .0 8.6
2003–04 Orlando 76 69 30.7 .433 .383 .771 2.5 4.2 .8 .1 10.5
2004–05 Houston 21 3 22.8 .393 .333 .778 1.9 2.8 .4 .0 6.0
2004–05 Atlanta 49 46 31.2 .464 .364 .871 2.2 5.4 .5 .0 13.5
2005–06 Atlanta 51 10 24.2 .459 .457 .855 1.6 3.1 .5 .1 11.0
2006–07 Atlanta 56 17 26.6 .416 .348 .883 1.9 3.6 .4 .0 11.4
2007–08 Atlanta 33 3 17.1 .439 .435 .857 1.2 1.8 .3 .0 6.8
2007–08 Dallas 17 0 10.1 .474 .529 .250 .8 .9 .0 .1 3.8
2008–09 Milwaukee 30 0 13.1 .454 .467 .750 1.2 1.5 .2 .0 4.7
2008–09 Orlando 14 0 9.2 .395 .353 .667 .8 1.0 .1 .0 3.0
Career 554 173 22.7 .437 .391 .829 1.7 3.1 .5 .0 8.5

[citation needed]

Playoffs

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999 L.A. Lakers 3 0 11.0 .412 .000 .000 .7 2.0 .7 .0 4.7
2001† L.A. Lakers 15 0 8.7 .345 .385 .800 .7 .7 .8 .1 1.9
2008 Dallas 2 0 1.0 .000 .000 .000 .5 .5 .0 .0 .0
2009 Orlando 1 0 4.0 1.000 1.000 .000 .0 .0 .0 .0 5.0
Career 21 0 8.1 .388 .375 .800 .6 .8 .7 .0 2.3

Head coaching record

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
Cleveland 2015–16 41 27 14 .659 1st in Central 21 16 5 .762 Won NBA Championship
Cleveland 2016–17 82 51 31 .622 1st in Central 18 13 5 .722 Lost in NBA Finals
Cleveland 2017–18 82 50 32 .610 1st in Central 22 12 10 .545 Lost in NBA Finals
Cleveland 2018–19 6 0 6 .000 (fired) — — — — —
L.A. Clippers 2020–21 72 47 25 .653 2nd in Pacific 19 10 9 .526 Lost in Conference finals
L.A. Clippers 2021–22 82 42 40 .512 3rd in Pacific – – – – Missed playoffs
L.A. Clippers 2022–23 82 44 38 .537 3rd in Pacific 5 1 4 .200 Lost in First round
L.A. Clippers 2023–24 82 51 31 .622 1st in Pacific 6 2 4 .333 Lost in First round
Career 529 312 217 .590   91 54 37 .593  

Awards and honors

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NBA:

USA Basketball:

NCAA:

Media

State/Local:

Personal life

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Lue is a first cousin once removed of Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum. As a native of St. Louis, Tatum grew up within two hours of Lue's hometown of Mexico, Missouri, and often attended his family barbecues.[29]

References

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  1. ^ "2016-17 NBA Pronunciation Guide (Start of Season)" (PDF). NBA.com. p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2021. Tyronn Lue (Ta-RON LEW)
  2. ^ a b neil-keefe (October 23, 2009). "Celtics Name Tyronn Lue Director of Basketball Development".
  3. ^ a b "David Blatt fired as Cavaliers coach; Tyronn Lue to take over team". ESPN. January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  4. ^ "Fmr. Raytown student now NBA title-winning coach". KSHB. June 20, 2016.
  5. ^ "Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". www.huskers.com.
  6. ^ "Greatest Moments in NBA History - Allen Iverson "Step Over" Tyronn Lue NBA Finals 2001". YouTube. October 26, 2014.
  7. ^ "Tyronn Lue 2000-01 game log".
  8. ^ "Lue re-signs with Hawks". ESPN. August 30, 2005. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "After being waived by Kings, Lue signs with Mavs". ESPN.com. March 5, 2008.
  10. ^ "Bucks sign Tyronn Lue and Malik Allen". Milwaukee Bucks.
  11. ^ "Orlando Magic News Headlines". Orlando Magic.
  12. ^ D'Amico, Marc (June 6, 2024). "Tyronn Lue Left a Lasting Impression in Boston". NBA.com. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "CLIPPERS NAME ALVIN GENTRY ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH AND ADD ARMOND HILL, KEVIN EASTMAN AND TYRONN LUE AS ASSISTANT COACHES". Los Angeles Clippers.
  14. ^ "Cavs Name Tyronn Lue Associate Head Coach". NBA.com. June 23, 2014.
  15. ^ Fedor, Chris (January 22, 2016). "David Blatt fired by Cleveland Cavaliers; Tyronn Lue elevated to head coach". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  16. ^ Matthey, James (May 20, 2016). "LeBron James and co racked up some crazy stats in their game two win over the Raptors". news.com.au. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  17. ^ Vogel, Brandon (June 20, 2016). "Hot Reads: Tryonn". Hail Varsity. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  18. ^ Matthey, James (June 20, 2016). "Cavaliers defeat Warriors 93-89, clinch first NBA title". MEREDITHAZ. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  19. ^ Boren, Cindy (March 19, 2018). "Cavaliers' Tyronn Lue takes leave of absence with just 13 games left, citing health issues". Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
  20. ^ Tjarks, Jonathan. Tyronn Lue Is Running Circles Around Dwane Casey, The Ringer, May 4, 2018
  21. ^ "Cavaliers Make Coaching Change". NBA.com. October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  22. ^ Rapp, Timothy (December 18, 2018). "Tyronn Lue Brought in by Doc Rivers, Clippers for 'Informal Role' with Team". Bleacher Report.
  23. ^ "Tyronn Lue agrees to join Clippers coaching staff". Los Angeles Times. August 21, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  24. ^ "Clippers Name Tyronn Lue Head Coach". NBA.com. October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mann scores career-high 39, Clippers eliminate Jazz 131-119". ESPN.com. June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  26. ^ "Clippers sign coach Tyronn Lue to long-term contract extension". NBA.com. May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  27. ^ Timothy Rapp (May 29, 2024). "Report: Ty Lue, Clippers Agree to New Contract Worth 'Nearly' $70M amid Lakers Rumors". syndication.bleacherreport.com. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  28. ^ Cavs coach Tyronn Lue stays true ti his hometown of Mexico, Mo. - Kansas City.com (Kansas City Star)
  29. ^ McMenamin, Dave (May 10, 2018). "Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue proud to see cousin Jayson Tatum succeeding with Boston Celtics". ESPN.
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