As most hoops fans know, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has been on an excused leave of absence due to mounting health concerns. However, the Mexico, Missouri native was in attendance for Friday night’s 107-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, though he was not calling the plays.
Coach Lue stepped down from the bench earlier this month to focus on his recovery. According to most reports, he was experiencing chest pains and a lack of sleep (among other things). Head assistant coach Larry Drew has taken the reigns in Lue’s stead.
As coach Lue made his way to the facility prior to Friday night’s game, he ran into a jovial Jeff Green, who joked that he forgot what his coach looked like. Coach Lue responded with some humor of his own.
“I forgot what you looked like,” Green said to coach Lue.
“I forgot what y’all looked like too, and that’s a good thing,” Lue cheekily replied.
Currently, there is no set timetable for coach Lue’s return, but it’s certainly nice to see him in good spirits.
LeBron James led the Cavs in scoring on Friday night. In his 42 minutes of playing time, the King racked up 27 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, 11 assists, nine rebounds, and one steal.
During the first half of Friday’s game, James passed NBA legend Michael Jordan (866) for the most consecutive games with double-digits in the scoring column.
The Cavs — winners in two straight outings — will continue their four-game homestand on Sunday when they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to Quicken Loans Arena. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. EST with NBA TV and FOX Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage.
