Newly appointed LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue will enter the top bracket of NBA coaches after reportedly agreeing to a $7 million per year deal with the franchise. After leading the team to the western conference semi-finals recently as an assistant coach, Lue will take over from Doc River who was let go by the Clippers.
With the $7 million per year deal, Lue enters the list of elite NBA coaches in the ranks such as Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich. Lue’s sole experience as head coach resulted in Cleveland Cavaliers getting their maiden NBA championship. The feat also helped the 43-year-old inscribe himself into the history books by being one of the few rookie coaches to guide the team to a title.
The former Cavaliers’ head coach has been in the assistant post with Boston Celtics and LA Clippers in two different spells. He was headhunted by the Los Angeles Lakers last season, who were ready to offer him a contract worth 18 million spanning over three years. However, Lue walked out of the negotiation citing differences with the length of the contract and also the current NBA Champions’ policy of providing the assistant coach.
Doc Rivers’ successor apparently wanted to be paid on a similar scale as Lakers were offering him last time around, which lead to the Clippers offering the finalized sum of $7 million per year.
Lue and Clippers hope for a new illustrious chapter
This opportunity is apt for Lue to silence the naysayers who claim his sole NBA title came only due to the influence of LeBron James. This time around, with a formidable squad which finished second in the conference table and dominated the playoffs till the first half of the conference semi-finals, the newly appointed coach has a good chance to go one step further next season.
Moreover, by building a good relationship with the team stalwarts such as Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Lue has earned the players’ trust in the managerial change.
Clippers beat competition from the teams like Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans who were vying for his signature as well.
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