Tyronn Lue, Clippers
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Head coach Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers reacts in the second half against the Houston Rockets during the Emirates NBA Cup game at Toyota Center on November 15, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Tyronn Lue made his stance on playing more games very clear. So much so that the Los Angeles Clippers head coach didn’t hold back against the players complaining about it.
Lue was recently on an Aug. 28 episode of Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, “Club Shay Shay”. He knew what it was like for players to be in the NBA because he was one himself. He played in the league from 1998 to 2009, representing seven teams throughout his 11-year career. The former guard even won two titles during his early years with the Los Angeles Lakers squad that highlighted Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Now a head coach, Lue compared how teams organized their practices at the time and noted how different it is now due to players taking care of their bodies more differently.
“When I first got to the league, you play a game, the next day, you got an hour and a half, two-hour practice. Taped. You’re live. Contact, body on body, getting better every single day. Now, game, practice the next day is gonna be a walkthrough. You ain’t gonna have no contact, guys are not gonna go full speed. 30-40 minutes. [They’re like], ‘We just had a game last night.’ It’s a big difference,” Lue added.
Load management has been a hot topic in the modern NBA as players are being more cautious towards avoiding injuries. To Lue, he sees some players are complaining about playing more games when it was the complete opposite during his playing career.
“When I was coming up, guys wanted to play more minutes, you always cried about not playing minutes. Now guys cry about playing too many minutes,” Lue said.
Ty Lue:
“When I was coming up, guys cried about not playing enough minutes. Now guys cry about playing” 😳
(via @ClubShayShay) pic.twitter.com/OcBGupyQwM
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 29, 2025
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What Lies Ahead For Tyronn Lue, Clippers
Tyronn Lue, Clippers
GettyTyronn Lue head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and Jeff Van Gunde gives instruction to James Harden #1 during game against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center on January 29, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Tyronn Lue made his stance on the topic clear. It is important for players to play as much games as possible to have their bodies adapt to the workload and be ready for the playoffs.
Lue has been successful throughout his head coaching career since starting midway through the 2015-16 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coaching the star trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, he helped them reach the mountaintop in historic fashion after beating the Golden State Warriors in seven games during the 2016 NBA Finals.
Now with the Clippers after joining the organization in 2020, he played a solid role in keeping the team stable as a playoff contender. He even led them to the first Conference Finals berth in franchise history during the 2021 postseason, being two wins away from the NBA Finals before losing to the Phoenix Suns in six games.
Lue has a chance to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018, his second-to-last year with the Cavaliers. He boasts a veteran Clippers roster with stars Kawhi Leonard and James Harden with seasoned players Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez and Chris Paul.
The Clippers may be a big threat going into next season if all goes well. For Lue, it would add a huge accomplishment to his successful coaching resume.