Austin Rivers highlights Tyronn Lue’s failure from LeBron James

Former NBA guard Austin Rivers expressed a sharp criticism on Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Luequestioning Lue’s accomplishments since then winning an NBA championship alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speaking of the latest episode of Awkward with Austin Rivers, Rivers addressed his frustrations with the Clippers leadership and took direct aim at Lue’s record after his championship in Cleveland.

“I don’t like the way they handled multiple situations. To be quite honest, I don’t like how they handled my situation,” Rivers said. “I don’t know if it’s Lawrence Frank, Ty Lue, neither of them get enough blame in my opinion. Ty Lue always blames somebody else. Bro, you haven’t done anything since you haven’t coached LeBron.”

Rivers added that Lue consistently deflects responsibility when teams fail, arguing that the coach has not matched his past success since leaving Cleveland. Lue led the Cavaliers to the NBA title in 2016, defeating a Down 3-1 against the Golden State Warriorswith James at the helm.

The Clippers’ slow start is reigniting the debate surrounding Tyronn Lue’s success

Since taking over as the Clippers’ head coach in 2020, Lue has posted a 240-187 regular season record. He led Los Angeles to the Western Conference Finals in 2021, marking the first conference finals appearance in franchise history. That postseason remains the highlight of his tenure with the organization.

However, Rivers’ comments come as the Clippers endure a rough start to the current season. Los Angeles fell to a 6-21 recordraising questions about the team’s direction and leadership amid mounting pressure.

Lue’s postseason record with the Clippers is 16-21 in four playoff appearances. Although the team consistently entered seasons with championship aspirations, they failed to reach the NBA Finals under his leadership.

Rivers’ criticism seemed to reflect lingering frustration with his time with the Clippers. He played for the franchise from 2018 to 2020 and has previously spoken about being unhappy with the way his role and exit were handled.

The remarks add to the growing attention surrounding the Clippers, who have faced challenges on and off the court this season. As the losses pile up, Lue’s leadership and past accomplishments have become a focal point of discussion, especially given the contrast between his championship resume with James and his mixed results since then.

While Lue remains one of the league’s more experienced coaches, Rivers’ blunt assessment underscores the pressure the Clippers face as they try to stabilize their season and live up to the expectations placed on their coaching staff.