Clippers Nearing Deal to Make Tyronn Lue Top Assistant
By Aaron Halford
After LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost out on the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, they've now lost out on James' former coach Tyronn Lue, who is expected to become a top assistant to Doc Rivers for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Lue was once considered the favorite to land the head coaching job for the Lakers before they went with Frank Vogel, much to the chagrin of Laker fans.
The Clippers are closing in on the hiring of Tyronn Lue as a top assistant to Coach Doc Rivers, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 14, 2019
In Cleveland, Lue famously coached the Cavaliers to a 3-1 comeback in the NBA Finals against the 73-win Warriors in 2016, bringing Cleveland its first Larry O'Brien Trophy. He led the team to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and finished with a playoff record of 41-20.
Lue previously worked on Rivers' staff with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers during an earlier stint, so it's safe to assume their strong relationship helped make the decision easy on both sides.
Looks like Ty Lue might be back on the Clippers bench this season. @rsnellings25 has details on the rumor: https://t.co/EYAqjgRMNa
— Clipperholics (@ClipperholicsFS) August 14, 2019
Lue's veteran coaching experience will be a big boost to the Clippers' bench, and he'll be able to offer his expertise on LeBron to Rivers. Lue actually spent some time as an informal advisor to Rivers last season after being removed from his head coaching position with the Cavaliers.