Ty Lue talks about his decision to go with Irving over James in the 2016 NBA Finals.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving outplayed the Warriors on both ends of the court to help the Cleveland Cavaliers make a historic 3-1 comeback. Tyronn Lue, the head coach, recently defended his decision to pick “Uncle Drew” to make “one of the biggest shots in NBA history,” despite the fact that James had a better point average in the 2016 championship series.
During his visit on the “All The Smoke” podcast, the 46-year-old coach described how the four-time MVP was completely exhausted following his magical chase-down block on Andre Iguodala. Finally, Lue had no choice but to pass the ball to Kyrie, who even astonished Lue by beating Steph Curry on a 3-point attempt.
“Bron was fatigued after just making that significant block. He was finished because he hadn’t left the game the entire time. When we arrived at the bench, there were 13 seconds left. When Bron arrived, he grabbed the damp towel. I am therefore simply expressing, “Sh*t man, I’m going to Kyrie,” The scenario on the Cavs bench was described by Lue. ‘JR you had to set a hard screen, make him and Kyrie you got to jet off to force a switch,’ I told him as we came out of the timeout. I assumed he would go to the rack rather than attempt a three-point shot. He assessed him, moving back to the right, that was one of the most powerful shots in NBA history.”
LeBron James outperformed Kyrie Irving in terms of stats
After putting up 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in the final series, Kyrie would have been voted the 2016 NBA Finals MVP without James’ average of 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 8.9 assists.
Even in the crucial Game 7, “The King” maintained his statistical advantage despite playing only 47 minutes. On 9 of 24 field goal attempts, he averaged a triple-double of 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Conversely, Irving played 43 minutes, finishing with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist on 10-of-23 field goal shooting.
Because coach Lue rotated his team with just three additional players off the bench during Game 7, Kyrie had to alleviate James of all the strain during the final game. For the Cavaliers’ benefit, the eight-time All-Star delivered when his team most needed him.
Tyronn Lue: “I’m always one step ahead of the game”
Despite lacking much coaching experience, Lue has made a name for himself as a smart mentor who learns to act bravely when the stakes are high.
With years of experience under Doc Rivers as an assistant coach, Lue’s legacy was launched with a bang when he defeated the ’73-9′ Warriors in his first season in charge.
Lue acknowledged his time playing with Michael Jordan, Shaq, and Kobe Bryant for giving him the bravery to make decisions despite the consequences given his already broad knowledge of teaching basketball.
“Because I’ve been there, it helps me with my changes. Lue advised the hosts, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, “You can’t be afraid to do it. I played, and I’ve seen different circumstances. Many coaches may have made numerous tweaks, but they are concerned about what the media will think.