The shock of the Cleveland Cavs' firing of David Blatt is slowly starting to wear off, leaving us to analyze Tyronn Lue -- the former assistant now tabbed as the present and future for the organization as its head coach. Who Is Tyronn Lue? Here's 10 Fast Facts About the New Cavs Head Coach.
1) Lue played for 11 years in the NBA, suiting up for seven different teams. He was a coveted role player due to his on-court intelligence, sticking around in the league despite averages of just 8.5 points and 3.1 assists per game.
2) Lue traveled everywhere as a journeyman in the NBA, but made only one return trip to a franchise -- finishing his career with the Orlando Magic in 2008-09 a half decade after setting career highs in games played (76) and started (69) in a one-year stint with Orlando back in 2003-04.
3) Lue's first departure from Orlando came as a piece in the trade which sent Tracy McGrady to the Houston Rockets and brought Steve Francis to Florida. More on this story in the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps.
4) At just 38 years of age, Lue is the youngest non-interim head coach in the NBA.
5) Lue is tasked with replacing a head coach whose overall .675 winning percentage (83-40) ranks him #1 in franchise history. Mike Brown (2005-10, 2013-14) is second in team history with a .620 mark.
6) He played for an impressive cache of top NBA coaches during his career including Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy.
7) The four-year, $6.5 million deal he signed with the Cavs back in 2014 made Lue the highest-paid assistant coach in NBA history.
8) Lue was traded by the Denver Nuggets on the night of the 1998 NBA Draft after being selected with the #23 overall pick. He was dealt to LA with Tony Battie in exchange for Nick Van Exel.
9) Tyronn Lue has an NBA Championship ring after serving as a rotation player for the Los Angeles Lakers during their run to a title in 2001.
10) Lue's most memorable NBA moment comes from the 2001 NBA Finals, but not for the most flattering of reasons. Los Angeles' only loss of the playoffs came to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Finals -- a contest in which Allen Iverson stepped over Lue after draining a clutch shot in overtime.
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