The NBA is a highly competitive league, and there are true rivalries between teams and players. But it is also a brotherhood, a fraternity where for the most part everyone wants to see each other succeed. That seems especially true among the coaches, so this latest bit of news should come as little surprise.
According to a report from Tania Ganguli, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Ty Lue will meet with Lakers coach Luke Walton in order to give him some advice and guidance about coaching LeBron James. "The King," of course, recently decided to take his talents to Southern California and play for Walton and the Lakers. Via the Los Angeles Times:
For the last 2 1/2 seasons, Lue has coached LeBron James. Now that James has agreed to a four-year deal with the Lakers, it's Walton's turn. Their chat between games was just the beginning. Lue said he plans to meet with Walton and Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw — who was Lue's Lakers teammate for two seasons — in Las Vegas this week to discuss over dinner their new coaching challenge.
"I'll just tell them LeBron's easy," Lue said. "People get this whole thing built up like he's hard to coach. It's not. LeBron's not the problem. It's the outside tension that's the problem. Just put added pressure immediately on the coaches, on his teammates. Now everything you do is under a microscope. … So it's going to be a totally different change for the Lakers. They'll be able to handle it.
"LeBron is easy to play with, very unselfish. LeBron can bring guys along, make sure they're doing the right thing. It's going to be good. The outside is what you've gotta be able to block out."
Lue has spent the past four seasons coaching James, the past two and a half as head coach. They won a title together, and went through all the ups and downs that came with the Cavs in the past few years. So who better for Walton to converse with about his upcoming challenge?
It's pretty cool of Lue to take some time out of his summer break to help out a fellow coach when he's under no obligation to do so. Hopefully Walton will be able to pick up a few things that will make his life easier this upcoming season.
