Cleveland Cavaliers fire Tyronn Lue after disastrous start to the post-LeBron era
- The Cleveland Cavaliers have fired head coach Tyronn Lue after a 0-6 start to the season in the team's first year without LeBron James.
- Lue had led the team to three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, winning a championship with the team in 2016.
- Assistant Larry Drew has been promoted to interim head coach in Lue's absence.
The Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach Tyronn Lue on Sunday after a 0-6 start to the season.
Lue had led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in each of his three seasons as head coach, including a championship in 2016. But the team has struggled to start the year in the absence of superstar LeBron James, who left for the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason.
"My time here in Cleveland was truly special," Lue said in a statement. "I am very grateful for the dedication, sacrifice, and support of all the players on our team, the tremendous coaches I worked with and of course, our incredible fans. Lastly, deep thanks to Dan Gilbert, David Griffin, and Koby Altman for the opportunity over the last three years and I only wish the organization success moving forward."
After the news broke, James was quick to thank Lue for their time together.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Lue and general manager Koby Altman had had disagreements over the team's rotation, with Lue preferring more playing time for veterans like Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith, and Altman pushing for rookie Collin Sexton and other younger players to spend more time on the court.
In Lue's absence, assistant Larry Drew has been promoted to interim head coach, and could potentially take over for the team long term.