The career of Tyronn Lue as a player and then a coach can be summed up in a succession of opportunities which presented themselves to him and which he knew how to seize. Whether it’s his debut at the Lakers alongside Shaq and Kobe, his arrival in Washington where he was able to rub shoulders with Michael Jordan, until his promotion as assistant then coach in Cleveland the year of the title, in 2016, or more recently with the Clippers.
The story repeated itself a little for him concerning his arrival within the staff of Team USA since it was Monty Williams who had been asked at the base. But the new Pistons coach had to decline the invitation due to his wife’s health problems and Grant Hill, the GM of the American selection, then turned to Tyronn Lue to complete a staff for the less extensive, at the alongside Steve Kerr, Erik Spoelstra and many others.
“Monty had his worries and Steve Kerr and Grant Hill called me right away to ask if I’d like to be on the team. I replied, “Are you serious? It’s a dream come true. Having the opportunity to coach Team USA, to be surrounded by great players and a great staff, it was obvious to me. I felt bad for Monty, but he called me and said I was going to have a great experience”, did he declare from Abu Dhabi, where the Americans are taking part in the last stage of their preparation.
Tyronn Lue, the opportunist
Throughout the ages, Team USA continues to make the whole world dream and even the greatest technicians of the NBA like Tyronn Lue, kid at the time of the “Dream Team” of 1992, had kept this dream in a corner of his head. And now 31 years after the Barcelona episode, it’s up to him to take up the torch.
“I think it’s an honor. You grow up watching basketball, the Olympic team, the Dream Team, and you always want to play for those teams. I wasn’t good enough, but it’s amazing to have the opportunity to represent my country in any capacity.”he added.
After having rubbed shoulders with the best and winning with them, as a player and then a coach, Tyronn Lue knows that he will be able to bring his experience of major events, but also his ability to train stars.
“I had the chance to play with a lot of great players. You can see what they do, get tough, and see how their hard work translates into the basketball and off the court. And when you win, lifting the trophy at the end of the year is so satisfying, gratifying. There is nothing like it, and I hope we can do it here,” he concluded.
