Being a coach no matter what level you are coaching in is a hard task that some people aren't cut out to handle. Being a coach of a defending champion NBA team? That seems pretty hard as well. Well, Tyronn Lue not only has to deal with that, but he has to deal with one of the best players in league history in LeBron James.
Tyronn Lue knows what he got into coaching the Cavs, but that still doesn't make it any easier for him. Lue told reporters Tuesday that coaching the Cavs is the hardest coaching job in the NBA. Lue might have a point, with handling the best player in the world and making sure every other player is happy can really stress out a young coach like himself.
A lot to Deal With
Being an NBA head coach isn't just about sitting on a bench and watching some of the best players in the world go up and down the court. A head coach must plan practices, make sure the team runs the right plays, talk to the media a certain amount of times per week, make situational calls during the game that will be scrutinized if it doesn't work afterward, and much more. Lue was the interim coach for David Blatt when he was fired in the middle of the season, and he couldn't be prepared for dealing with what he is dealing with now.
Lue told reporters according to ESPN, "Like, I didn't have a chance to start lower and work my way up to the top. I just jumped right to the top, right in the fire, and that was hard."
Not to mention he has to deal with LeBron James, a player with a high IQ and who sometimes thinks he knows what's best for the team.
Tyronn has to make sure LeBron knows his place as a player but also making sure he gets his opinion on certain things as that bright mind can't go to waste.
Many think that coaching a team with three all-stars in LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love is easy. They're all-stars, let them play and they'll figure it out. That would be the wrong choice.
Making sure all players get their touches is probably the hardest job for a coach. When you are dealing with all-stars like Irving, Love, and James, they need their touches in order to get going but you don't want them to be ball hogs either. Lue has a lot to deal with when it comes to basketball, but what happens off the court makes his job even harder.
Media Madness
Tryonn had to learn that being a head coach, your every move will be questioned and criticized by the media. Lue said that when he was a player he would've gone after every media member who criticized him, but now he realizes it "isn't worth it." They get paid for their opinions, and that's how it's gonna be forever.
The only beef he has with the media is when they try to make stuff up as he said per ESPN, "I don't like it when they make stuff up. ...If I didn't do a good job or if I didn't do something [correctly], then I understand that. That's your job. But when you make stuff up, that's the part I don't get that kind of makes me mad."
Lue isn't too fond of the media attention but knows it comes with the platform.
He knows if he says something controversial it will be blown up and will be viral in a matter of seconds. This explains why he isn't vocal when the cameras are in the Cavs huddles during timeouts or when he is mic'd up for sound. He won't be getting any breaks from the media soon as his team is in the middle of defending their championship.
Tyronn Lue has a job nobody else has in the NBA. He is given the task of making sure his all-stars get their touches, making sure he makes the right decisions in a game, not saying the wrong thing, and making sure a player like LeBron is kept in check, but also making sure his mind and talents isn't going to waste. LeBron and Tyronn have a great relationship, so this isn't a negative experience for him. But coaches and players butt head sometimes, especially if you have great IQs like these two. Lue's job comes with its hardships, but if they do it right, it can come with many benefits.
