Less than two-and-a-half years removed from leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their only NBA title, head coach Tyronn Lue has been fired, according to ESPN. Lue’s departure comes after an 0–6 start to the 2018–19 season, but perhaps more importantly, after LeBron James’ blockbuster free agent move to the L.A. Lakers this past summer.
News of Lue’s firing spread quickly on Sunday, and Lue’s former star player took to Twitter to publicly praise the coach and offer his assistance.
ESPN sources report that Lue had been engaged in a power struggle with GM Koby Altman over roster playing time. Altman had pushed for younger players to be given more time on the court, while Lue wanted to prioritize veterans like JR Smith and Kyle Korver. After sitting the pair an entire game, Lue reportedly re-inserted them into the lineup without asking Altman.
At the time he was fired, Lue had a 128–83 regular season record and his .624 winning percentage was third-best all-time for the Cavaliers franchise. Lue had led Cleveland to the past three consecutive NBA Finals, winning in 2016 as a rookie head coach in a historic seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
