Nov 1, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) embraces head coach Tyronn Lue of the LA Clippers after the Lakers won during overtime at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Ty Lue Says Lakers Head Coaching Job Would’ve Been ‘Dream Come True’

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 3:15 PM ET

L.A. Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue was almost the head coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the first season future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and LeBron James were teammates.

Ultimately, a disagreement over money led to Lue taking an assistant gig under Doc Rivers for the Clippers. Lue replaced Rivers the next season.

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But that Lakers opportunity hasn't ever been far from Lue's mind.

During a recent appearance on Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe's podcast "Club Shay Shay," Lue revealed just how much he would have enjoyed the opportunity to lead the franchise he won two titles with as a player in 2000 and 2001.

"I would've loved it. It would've been a dream come true." - Ty Lue on the Lakers head coaching job pic.twitter.com/FQhfXrxnMW
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) August 31, 2025

"I would've loved it. I mean it would've been a dream come true," Lue said.

Lue, of course, has plenty of experience with James. Lue served as an assistant coach on David Blatt's Cleveland Cavaliers staff in 2014-15. That roster was fronted by All-Stars James, point guard Kyrie Irving, and power forward Kevin Love. Injuries to Irving and Love ultimately doomed the Cavaliers' chances in the Finals, and they fell in six games to the Golden State Warriors.

Blatt was fired midway through the Cavaliers' 2015-16 season and replaced with Lue. Cleveland toppled the 73-win Warriors in an encore Finals clash. The Cavaliers then made two more Finals appearances against Golden State, losing both matchups to a more stacked Warriors squad.

"One, they offered me short years, they offered me three years, and I wanted to do five. I guess 'cause they were trying to tie me with LeBron. Two, the money was low," Lue said. "Well I'm saying, it wasn't low for me, personally, the money, it was low for the head coach and for what it meant to everybody else going forward."

"I just felt, for me, being a championship coach and being Black, I thought it was up to me to make sure I set the standard," Lue added. "If I took a bad deal, then what's everybody else going to get? So I just thought it was up to me to make sure I did that."

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"It's hard because loyalty is tough," Lue said. "They wouldn't let me pick my coaching staff. So they were going to pick my coaching staff for me, and so I had to leave a lot of guys behind... It wasn't a thing where I didn't like the guys they wanted me to hire, my thing was just leaving guys behind... We won a championship together, went to four straight Finals together."

Los Angeles went with Frank Vogel, who led the club to its 17th title that season.

Lue ultimately seems to be enjoying his time with the Clippers, who just finished with a 50-32 record and the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.