Brett Brown exit: Who is Tyronn Lue, the rumored Philadelphia 76ers head coach candidate?
Soon after the Philadelphia 76ers fired coach Brett Brown on Monday, August 24, the focus moved to the next man in line to step into the role. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix tweeted that there was mutual interest between the franchise and current Clippers assistant coach, Tyronn Lue. Mannix also added that Lue was considered for what could be multiple coach openings. According to The Athletic, he was even considered by the Brooklyn Nets as well. While there is no official confirmation yet about the news, here's everything you need to know about Lue.
There is mutual interest between Ty Lue and the 76ers, as @SInow reported. Lue will be pursued by multiple teams in the weeks ahead, but Philadelphia could have an inside track.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) August 24, 2020
Tyronn Lue, 43 was a former NBA player who was signed by the Denver Nuggets as the 23rd pick of the draft in 1998 and then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers with Tony Battie in exchange for Nick Van Exel. He later played for the Washington Wizards in the 2001 off-season before turning out for Orlando Magic in 2003-04. There were smalled stints with Houston Rockets (2004), Atlanta Hawks (2008), Dallas Mavericks (2008-09), Milwaukee Bucks (2009), and Magic again in 2009. Career NBA stats: Points- 4,710 | Rebounds- 943 | Assists- 1,727.
Lue's coaching career started off in 2013 when he joined the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Clippers. The following year, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers as associate head coach and was the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA. He went on to become the head coach of the Cavs in 2016 and during his tenure, he coached the team to an NBA Championship. He stayed with the team till 2018 before moving on for a role as Assistant coach with the Clippers again last year.
According to ESPN, the Sixers are also looking at coach Jay Wright as one of the possible options. As for Brown's exit, "I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he’s done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia,” said general manager Elton Brand in his statement.
"He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year and I believe it is best to go in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal of competing for an NBA championship."
What are your thoughts on Ty Lue being looked at as a potential coach?