NBA Rumors: LeBron James Would Have ‘Too Much Control’ If L.A. Lakers Hire Tyronn Lue, Per ‘New York Times’
Lots of things have happened since the Los Angeles Lakers failed to enter the Western Conference Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. After Earvin “Magic” Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations, the Lakers also decided to part ways with Luke Walton, who immediately found a new job on the Sacramento Kings. While looking for Johnson’s replacement, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka is currently leading the search for their new head coach.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, the three frontrunners to be the next Lakers head coach are former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams, and Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard. With his relationship with LeBron James, most people believe that Lue has the edge over Williams and Howard to coach the Lakers in the 2019-20 NBA season. However, Stein revealed that some people in the Lakers’ organization “fear” that hiring Lue could give James “too much control” in the franchise.
“The Lakers responded to Johnson’s sudden exit by vowing to ‘work in a measured and methodical fashion to make the right moves for the future.’ What that means so far is interviews for their coaching vacancy in the coming days with Monty Williams of the 76ers; Tyronn Lue, the former Cleveland Cavaliers coach; and the Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard — with a buzz circulating in coaching circles that Williams has a stronger-than-expected shot at the job because some in the Lakers’ organization may fear hiring Lue would be giving LeBron too much control.”
Rob Pelinka is going to interview Tyronn Lue about the Lakers head coaching job on Friday. https://t.co/sLSrOTxJ6c
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) April 16, 2019
It’s easy to understand why there are people in the Lakers’ organization who are worried about Tyronn Lue’s potential arrival in Los Angeles. In his previous stint with the Cavaliers, James was frequently accused of having a huge influence on the team’s decision both on and off the court. However, if they want to maximize James’ years in Los Angeles, the Lakers should find a new head coach who knows how to unleash his full potential on the court.
Given by the three years that he spent with LeBron James in Cleveland that included three straight trips to the NBA Finals and an NBA championship title in 2016, the Lakers should give Tyronn Lue as strong consideration to be their new head coach. Aside from serving as Walton’s replacement, Lue could also help the Lakers find players who can complement James. As of now, the Lakers are still having an ongoing search for their new head coach and in a Twitter post, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported that GM Rob Pelinka is set to meet Lue on Friday.
