There was a lot of talk last month that Kyrie Irving helped push former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson out the door in part because the star point guard wants to reunite with Ty Lue, and Lue is apparently on-board with that idea.
Lue is interested in the Nets’ head coaching job and open to working with Irving again, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports. Lue is currently an assistant coach on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was the head coach with the Cavaliers when Irving was still in Cleveland.
While Irving has a reputation for being difficult to coach and has clashed with both coaches and teammates in the past, Yahoo’s Vincent Goodwill previously reported that Kyrie “soured” on Atkinson early on and wants to play for Lue again. The Nets could pursue a number of big-name candidates for their head coaching job, and it’s unclear how much of a role Irving will play in the hiring process.
If there is one thing we know about Lue, it’s that he won’t get desperate. He had an opportunity to coach LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but he turned it down because he wanted a longer deal. The Nets job should also be appealing because it would give Lue a chance to coach Irving and Kevin Durant, but Brooklyn would have to show they are committed to him in order for him to take the job.
