Tyronn Lue plans to return next season as the Clippers’ coach and hopes to have Russell Westbrook with him.
Lue addressed two of the biggest questions after his team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs Tuesday night at Phoenix 136-130 and lost in the series to the Suns 4-1.
Lue talked about her entire three years in Los Angeles. This season has probably been the most difficult for Lue, both on and off the field, with injuries to her stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Also recently, Lue talked about how she has missed the funerals of seven of her family members in Mexico, Missouri. The 45-year-old NBA coach said he opted not to attend any of his funerals in order to stay with the team.
“Since December, I’ve lost seven family members from Mexico, but we’ve lost six games in a row, so I can’t leave my team behind,” Lue told The Pivot Podcast. “I know I have to be there for my family and it’s been a difficult time for my family who want me there… I didn’t go to a funeral because we lost five games in a row.”
After sounding reflective about his tenure with the Clippers, Lue was asked if he hopes to return as the team’s coach after such a frustrating season.
“I think the most encouraging thing is that with PG and Kawhi healthy, we haven’t lost any series yet,” Lue said. “There’s always your mind, ‘What if.’ It’s easy to say, ‘What if’. It’s just been our luck the last three years.”
“Take the two best players from any team in the league and see if they can win in the playoffs,” he added.
“If you look back at my first year taking over, we did some really good stuff. Kawhi tore his ACL and missed the entire following season. I think we just have to take some time and let our coaches rest, let everybody rest, reflect on the season, come back and try to be better than we were this year.”
Leonard, George and other veterans lobbied the front office to sign Russell Westbrook after he left the Lakers, and the player delivered several standout performances late in the season and in the playoffs. Westbrook signed a veteran’s minimum contract for the remainder of the season and will be a free agent again this summer.
“One thing I tell you is I love it here,” Westbrook said after Tuesday’s loss. “I love the people, the fans in general, who welcome not only me, but also my family and close friends. I know a lot has happened (this season), but I’m grateful. I love it here. As far as making a decision, I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. I don’t know my process well because it’s the first time I’ve done this. We’ll see what happens”.
2023-04-26 16:12:48
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