Tyronn Lue became LeBron James head coach midway through the 2015-16 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. During their time together with the Cavs, the coach and superstar tandem combined for three Eastern Conference titles and one NBA championship.
That winning relationship is what has many pundits pointing to Lue as a possible replacement for Luke Walton as the Los Angeles Lakers next head coach. Yesterday, Stephen A. Smith mentioned Lue’s name with the possible opening and today Marc Stein offered the following.
Via Marc Stein’s New York Times NBA Newsletter:
“Who, then, will the Lakers hire? The name most frequently cited in league coaching circles is the very available Tyronn Lue. Lue, of course, is a former Laker who is better known for having coached LeBron James for 2 1/2 seasons in Cleveland. The presumed acceptance he would have from James, who is about to begin his first postseason as a spectator since 2005, would appear to give Lue with a significant advantage over the rest of the field.”
There are many reasons why Lue makes sense as the next head coach of the Lakers. He played for Los Angeles and won two championships as a key reserve on teams led by Shaq and Kobe. He also went on to win an NBA championship as a coach along with winning 60 percent of his games during the regular season. But the biggest reason Lue has a significant advantage over the rest of the field for this position is because he has the seal of approval from LeBron James–and that goes a long way.
