The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to fire its head coach this NBA season when they dismissed Tyronn Lue after an 0-6 start to the 2018-19 campaign. It’s a swift exit for a coach who led the Cavaliers to their first and only NBA title, but in a post-LeBron era in Cleveland things seem very much in flux.
Lue was told he was let go Sunday morning, shortly after the team was notified it was going in a different direction with its bench. And as the news reached the public so, too, did reports that the Cavaliers players were not happy with Dan Gilbert’s decision to let Lue go.
Shortly after the players were told and news was made public, several Cavaliers players posted on social media about Lue’s departure. J.R. Smith was thankful to Lue for getting the team to three straight NBA Finals, and implied with the text of his Instagram post that the swift departure this season didn’t match the success the team experienced with Lue in charge.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpe1i2olX6M
Kevin Love also posted an emotional message on Instagram as well, thanking Lue for how much he helped him grow in his time with the Cavs and offering “nothing but love and admiration.”
If the outpouring of support for a coach that’s just been let go sounds strange given the circumstances, well, it is. Cleveland’s biggest players aren’t happy about the news. And though they’re being diplomatic about it on social media, the same apparently can’t be said for elsewhere. The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported on Sunday that players were “pissed” over the dismissal.
Cavs' players are 'pissed' over Lue's firing, sources tell me. You're seeing it play out on social media. https://t.co/l4ORmbUHPg
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) October 28, 2018
And other reporters familiar with the Cavaliers beat chalked it up to owner Dan Gilbert running the show the way he wants.
The post-LeBron franchise centerpiece chimes in. Lots of surprise around the league about this move being unfair to Ty, and familiar refrains about Dan Gilbert doing Dan Gilbert things. https://t.co/Hff6YCBLff
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) October 28, 2018
And as Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor pointed out, that loyalty between Lue and his veteran players may have been his undoing here.
According to a source, the Cavs had been frustrated with the overall lack of competitiveness, believing the roster is more talented than it has showed. Lue’s rotations, including a lack of playing time for some of the youngsters in favor of veterans like Smith, has also been a point of contention. That loyalty may have contributed to Lue’s ouster.
It’s obvious that things are a mess in Cleveland, and firing Lue may not make them much better. But what’s clear is that a team that reached the NBA Finals the last three years is in freefall and its players are now extremely upset with management. Expectations inside the locker room were high this year, even without LeBron. Now it’s tough to know what to expect from anyone on Lake Erie.
