For years, Los Angeles Lakers fans wanted to see Tyronn Lue coach the team, especially because he has such a special relationship with LeBron James.
Apparently, the Lakers came close, but not close enough, to getting Lue.
Speaking with Stephen A. Smith, per Legion Hoops, Lue revealed James himself tried to get a deal together after the Lakers reportedly lowballed him with their lackluster contract offer.
Lue said:
“He called me twice… ‘What do I have to do? I said, ‘No, I want them to respect me… I don’t want to have to go to you to get my deal done; if they don’t respect me like I should be respected, then it’s okay.”
This was years ago, and the Lakers ended up signing Frank Vogel, who helped the Lakers win their first championship in years.
Ty Lue says LeBron James personally called him after Lakers sent low-ball coaching offer:
“He called me twice… 'What do I have to do? I said, 'No, I want them to respect me… I don't want to have to go to you to get my deal done; if they don't respect me like I should be… pic.twitter.com/yCCEpZjVTY
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 9, 2024
It’s obvious why the Lakers wanted Lue: he and James have a very strong connection.
They have known each other for years, and it was Lue who led James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to their historic championship in 2016.
The idea of pairing these two men together again makes perfect sense.
But inside reports said the Lakers offered Lue a deal of around three years and $18 million, which simply wasn’t enough.
Even with phone calls from James, Lue was ready to move on.
He ultimately made a deal with the Clippers and still coaches them to this day.
As for the Lakers, they worked with Vogel for a few years and then fired him before replacing him with Darvin Ham.
Ham only lasted a couple of seasons, and now it’s JJ Redick trying to get the Lakers back to a championship.
Lue will probably never coach James again, so fans will always have to wonder what this dream scenario would have been like.
NEXT: Everyone Was Saying The Same Thing About D'Angelo Russell On Sunday