Tyronn Lue is a guy NBA fans remember, but only after some prodding. Oh yeah, the guy who guarded Iverson. Similar braids, similar size, but purple and gold jersey — and not otherworldly awesome like AI. Pretty damn good player, though. Tough assignment, that Iverson. Remember when Iverson stepped over him that time? (see below). This is how the remembering of Tyronn Lue goes in the minds of NBA fans who were tuned in at the turn of the century. The memory process has been proven by the Internet hive-mind, which had the same memory triggers as Lue was announced as the new Cavaliers head coach.
Lue steps into fired coach David Blatt’s thankless role in Cleveland. He’s there to make LeBron James happy. (This is no conspiracy theory — making LeBron James happy is the #1 job of the Cavaliers coach. He has other jobs, but that’s #1. Just walk away from anyone preaching another story.) Lue played more than a decade in the NBA, but he’s best remembered for his three campaigns with Shaq and Kobe. (Despite the fact that Lue played relatively little for the Lakers compared to his minutes with Washington, Orlando, and Atlanta.) Having played on a Kobe-Shaq team — and thus being a two-time NBA champion — gives him rarefied experience on the personality management level, which is what Cleveland is looking for.
