There reportedly has been “chatter” about Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue potentially stepping down from his role this summer.
"There has been chatter about Ty Lue potentially removing himself [from the Clippers] at a certain point in time [this Summer]," per @JakeLFischer on the Ball Don't Lie Podcast.
(h/t: @clipperfan559) pic.twitter.com/mLKUpRowEV
— Unbiased NBA Fan (@nonbiasednbafan) March 23, 2023
Lue, who is widely considered to be one of the better head coaches in the sport, has been Los Angeles’ head coach since the 2020-21 season. He was an assistant for the Clippers during the 2019-20 campaign.
The Clippers are currently the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, but they are facing an uphill battle this season with Paul George going down to a knee injury on Tuesday night.
Injuries have been a common theme during Lue’s tenure for the Clippers, and it’s cost him and his team a chance at winning an NBA title.
In the 2020-21 season, Lue’s first as Los Angeles’ head coach, the Clippers made the Western Conference Finals, but they ended up losing to the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers didn’t have superstar Kawhi Leonard in that series, as he tore his ACL in the team’s previous series against the Utah Jazz.
Last season, Leonard was held out for the entire campaign, and George was in and out of the lineup with injuries. He ended up missing the team’s second play-in game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Clippers lost to miss the postseason.
It’s an unlucky run for Los Angeles, and it’s possible that is taking a toll on Lue.
Since taking over as the Clippers’ head coach, Lue has coached the team to a 127-100 regular season record and a 10-9 playoff record.
Prior to his time with the Clippers, Lue really made a name for himself coaching LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lue led the team to an NBA title in the 2015-16 season after the Cavs went down 3-1 in the Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
It’s unclear if Lue would look for another job in the NBA if he stepped down, or if the former player turned coach would like to step away from the game for a bit.
The Clippers are looking to make a deep playoff run this season, and if they do, it’s possible that could persuade Lue to remain with the team to coach the star duo of Leonard and George.
