There are few more memorable NBA Finals series than when the Cleveland Cavaliers came all the way back from being 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors to win the 2016 NBA championship after seven games. LeBron James led the Cavs to a miraculous come-from-behind series win, and there’s no denying that then-head coach Tyronn Lue also played a key role in that title conquest.
In a recent episode of Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s All the Smoke podcast, Coach Lue described one unforgettable LeBron James moment in Game 7 of that series. Apparently, Lue wasn’t at all pleased by James’ first-half performance, and the former decided to blatantly call LeBron out at halftime. This left the King fuming:
Tyronn Lue is a straight shooter. He didn’t hold back in calling LeBron out, which initially, wasn’t met well by the Cavs star. As it turns out, however, this was Lue’s plan all along. He wanted to get under James’ skin because he knew LeBron would take out his frustration on the Warriors. It was a bold risk, but in the end, it all worked out for the Cavs.
Tyronn Lue knows all too well just what LeBron James is truly capable of:
“He can score 50 anytime he wants, Lue said. “… He just wants to play the game the right way. But sometimes the right way is we need you to get 50.”
To this day, this is probably still something you can say about the Los Angeles Lakers superstar.