TORONTO: After 18 seasons in the NBA, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is now vilified in Israel.
He hates the circumstances of how he took over for David Blatt, a highly successful coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv who brought in Lue to be associate head coach/defensive coordinator last season. Lue said he’s spoken to Blatt three or four times since Blatt was fired by the Cavs on Jan. 22. Because their relationship remains strong and Blatt supports him, Lue said, “I’m at peace.”
But a former point guard on two Los Angeles Lakers championship teams, Lue prides himself on the reputation he built playing for 11 seasons before surprising himself and taking a job under the Boston Celtics’ Doc Rivers in 2009. So weeks later, being cast as the villain still stings.
“Eighteen years in this league and having a squeaky clean image, being who I’ve been on and off the court, it’s been difficult for me to go through this,” Lue said Friday at the Sheraton Centre Toronto.
Lue will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars, a spot that was about to go to Blatt, in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game at Air Canada Centre.
“I’ve been able to block it out, but it’s still tough,” Lue said. “You’ve been in this league for 18 years and people who know you and your family know that you’re not that way. It’s tough for people to talk about you in that sense. But it’s OK, I can get over it.”
Lue did not hear criticism that he did not deserve the All-Star assignment, which goes to the coaches of the two conference leaders.
“No, I didn’t. But our coaching staff worked hard to get to this point,” Lue said. “Unfortunately coach Blatt can’t be here to join us. I wish coach Blatt could be here also.”
In a conference call on Tuesday, TNT analyst Reggie Miller defended Lue getting the chance to lead the All-Stars in Toronto.
“Everyone is saying, ‘Can you believe he’s coaching in the All-Star Game?’ Yes, because he was David Blatt’s right-hand man,” Miller said. “I probably would have had a bigger problem if they would have fired Blatt and brought in a whole new coaching staff, then you can make an argument for Dwane Casey in Toronto.
“But the rest of that coaching staff has been there the whole time Cleveland was winning those ballgames.”
Cavs star LeBron James has heard some of the same chatter.
“I heard some rookies say, ‘Why would coach Lue accept the fact to come to the All-Star Game?’ Well, he would have been here, anyways,” James said. “I think it’s pretty cool that our coaching staff is here representing our organization. I know he’s going to have a great time with it.”
While Lue fielded some uncomfortable questions from the Israeli media during Friday’s availability, he is determined to savor the experience.
He’s got a suit picked out, but it’s not new.
“I didn’t have time,” he said.
He said he’ll have no play sheet, but will be conscious of making sure he gets everyone playing time.
“I told Jim Boylan and Larry Drew I’d probably draw the first two plays up, after that I’d let them do it, just sit back and relax and enjoy the moment,” Lue said of his Cavs assistants.
As they crossed paths entering and leaving the ballroom, Western Conference coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs told Lue to “have fun with it.” Kobe Bryant, a former Lakers teammate, had a different message.
“Kobe just told me I’m the luckiest coach in NBA history to be able to coach the All-Star Game, which I am,” Lue said. “Your dream as a kid is to make it to the NBA and win a championship. I was fortunate enough to do that. To coach the best players in the world in the All-Star Game, I would never see myself in this situation.”
Former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, now an analyst for ESPN, can see the tough spot Lue finds himself in. Not on Sunday, but this season with the Cavs.
“I think he’s got a great situation because of the talent, but also an extremely challenging situation because of the circumstances,” Carlesimo said of Lue during a Monday conference call. “When you take over in the middle of the year, you can’t make a lot of changes. And you’re dealing with the best player in the game, but a challenging guy because he’s so big for that franchise.
“There is no book. It’s not Coaching 101, it’s not grad school coaching. Coaching LeBron is a different animal. But I think Lue will do well.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.