Coaching the best player in the world does come with its challenges, something Tyronn Lue witnessed with David Blatt and LeBron James. The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised many when they decided to fire Coach Blatt mid-way through the 2015-16 season.
Fueling further doubts was that the Cavs were the No. 1 seed in the East and had a 30-11 record. At the time, many reports suggested that tensions between Blatt and James were the primary reason behind the sudden ouster. Adding to it was his disconnect with the locker room.
Eventually, management decided to part ways with Blatt, replacing him with Ty Lue, who was the associate head coach during that period. While many assumed T-Lue would be over the moon with such an opportunity, he knew everything came at a cost and was nervous.
“I was scared because anybody can say, ‘I would have did this, I’d have done that.’ Like, especially all that social media. You can say all that until you in that number one seat. Moving over six inches it’s tough, and especially midway through the season. And so, I just thought it was a lot of pressure, man,” said Lue, who had just been to the Finals under Blatt.
“Game six, we lose. No Kevin Love, no Kyrie, and now you want me to replace Coach Blatt, who done a hell of a job. And if we don’t make it to the finals and make it to at least game seven, I’m a failure, right? And so it was scary,” admitted Lue.
Nonetheless, the former NBA point guard-turned-coach was grateful for the support he received from the locker room, especially from LeBron, Kyrie, K-Love, and others.
Creating history in his debut season
Taking up the challenge, Lue could never have imagined breaking ground in his first year. He coached the Cavs in the remaining 41 games and finished with a 27-14 record, maintaining their No. 1 position in the East. Breezing through most of the playoffs, T-Lue made it to the Finals.
However, his biggest challenge was yet to come as the Cavaliers prepared to face the 73-9 Warriors. A 2015 Finals rematch, but this time around, James had Irving and Love in full health. Nonetheless, they did struggle and were on the brink of elimination, down 3-1.
With many already writing them off and crowing the Warriors, Coach T-Lue and crew would pull one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history. The series took a tragic turn, with the Cavaliers surprising most of us as they defeated the 73-9 team in a Game Seven at the Oracle Arena.
Challenging years followed
Achieving the unbelievable in his first season as head coach, Lue got handed his toughest assignment soon enough. Not only did he have to defend the title, but he also had to do it against a Warriors team that had just added Kevin Durant. A herculean task that seemed impossible to most.
That said, the Cavaliers did make it to the 2017 Finals, but lacked the ammunition to match up to the Warriors’ juggernaut. Adding to Lue’s woes was Irving’s demand for a trade. Fortunately, T-Lue still had LeBron by his side, who turned into a different beast in the 2017-18 season.
Carrying the team to its fourth consecutive Finals, James left everything on the floor, but could not defeat the Warriors. The following off-season, he signed with the Lakers. Shortly afterwards, the Cavs management would fire T-Lue after a 0-6 start to the 2018-19 season.
Initially apprehensive, Lue dealt effectively with all the pressures and scrutiny. Had the Warriors not signed KD, it would have been exciting to see Lue’s coaching career unfold in Cleveland. Back to assisting Doc Rivers, he joined him on the Clippers and was named head coach ahead of the 2020-21 season.