NBA champion head coach Tyronn Lue remains focused on his future with the Los Angeles Clippers, not the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Clippers lost to the Dallas Mavericks 114-101 on May 3, and were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs.
According to The Athletic, the Clippers will seek to extend Lue’s contract this offseason. After Friday’s loss, Lue was asked if he planned to remain with the Clippers.
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Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue speaks to the media after Game 1 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, 2024 in Los Angeles. talk. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I hope so. … You know, I hope so. I didn’t come here to fly around and go all over the place,” said Lu, who celebrated her 47th birthday on Friday. Ta.
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The coach also talked about the Clippers’ ownership and strong relationship with the front office.
“Mr. Ballmer, Lawrence (Frank, Director of Basketball Operations), Mark Hughes (Assistant General Manager), Trent (Redden, General Manager), Jillian (Zucker, Director of Business Operations)…they’ve all been great people to me. This is where I want to be and I hope they feel the same way. Mr. Ballmer has taught me a lot of things since I’ve been here that I never knew. .I wasn’t here.”
Lue declined to directly address speculation that the Lakers would target him in their search after waiving Darvin Ham.
Asked about his name appearing in Lakers search results, Lue said, “I don’t have any comment on that.” “It’s great to be wanted. It feels really good. Like I said, I want to be here. Hopefully I can solidify that.”
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers on December 31, 2022 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Trevor Rashkowski/USA Today Sports)
Lou has two years left on his contract.
The Clippers were without star forward Kawhi Leonard for four of six games against the Mavericks due to right knee inflammation. Last year, he lost to Phoenix in the first round and missed three of five games.
“I want to give credit to our players for persevering through the ups and downs and the negativity and everything we’ve been through this season,” Lue said. “We have to go into the series shorthanded again.”
Tyronn Lue of the LA Clippers during Game 2 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2024 in Los Angeles. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Lue coached Cleveland to the 2016 NBA title with LeBron James, who left for the Lakers in free agency two years later. After James left the Cavaliers, Lue left after only six games into the season (all losses).
Lue was an assistant on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Clippers, taking over when Rivers and the club mutually parted ways after the 2019-20 season. Rivers ended up in Philadelphia.
The Clippers reached the Western Conference Finals in Lue’s first season and had a 184-134 regular season record under him.
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“This year has been a good year,” Lu said. “Overall, I wouldn’t trade it for anything other than the early ending. I like the players in the locker room. They respect me and I respect them. Next season I’m ready to move on and get even better.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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