Tyronn Lue
Encyclopedia
Tyronn Jamar Lue is a former American
professional basketball
player who last played for the Orlando Magic
in the National Basketball Association
. The , 175 lb (79.4 kg; 12.5 st) point guard
was selected out of the University of Nebraska
by the Denver Nuggets
with the 23rd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft
, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Los Angeles Lakers
, where he won two NBA championships in his first three seasons. Lue now works as Director of Basketball Development for the Boston Celtics
.
in Raytown, Missouri
. He later went to University of Nebraska. He played basketball and studied Sociology
. He finished his Nebraska career ranked third on the all-time list in assists (432), fourth in three-pointers made (145) and attempted (407), fifth in steals (154) and seventh in scoring (1,577). Declaring for the NBA draft after his Junior season, he led the Cornhuskers in assists in each of his three seasons, and finished his career tied with Dave Hoppen
for most games with 30 or more points (7).
. He was selected 23rd overall by the Denver Nuggets
, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
with Tony Battie
in exchange for Nick Van Exel
on draft night. His first three years with the Lakers were disappointing. His playing time was limited, and he suffered from injuries in 2000. However, Lue excelled in the 2001 playoffs
. Due to his quickness, he was specifically used to guard Allen Iverson
during the NBA Finals
. The Lakers' 4-1 series victory over Iverson's 76ers gave them the second of three consecutive titles.
In the off-season of 2001, Lue signed with the Washington Wizards
, where he got considerably more playing time and subsequently became a better player at the point. He played with the Orlando Magic
in 2003–04 where he got to play a lot of minutes alongside Tracy McGrady
while leading the team to the worst record in the NBA that season: 21–61. After the season Lue, along with Juwan Howard
and McGrady were traded to the Houston Rockets
for Steve Francis
, Cuttino Mobley
and Kelvin Cato
. In Houston, Lue did not get many minutes of playing time because of the number of point guards the Rockets had on their roster. He was traded during the mid-season to the Atlanta Hawks
for Jon Barry
. Lue starred in Atlanta, although he again led the team with the worst record in the NBA that year, and the worst record in franchise history: 13–69.
On February 16, 2008, Lue was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks and was waived by the Sacramento Kings on February 28, 2008. Lue signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks
after clearing waivers.
On July 17, 2008, Lue signed a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks
.
On February 5, 2009, Lue was traded back to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Keith Bogans
and cash considerations.
On October 23, 2009, Boston named Lue director of basketball development.
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 15 || 0 || 12.5 || .431 || .438 || .571 || .4 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 8 || 0 || 18.3 || .487 || .500 || .750 || 1.5 || 2.1 || .4 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 38 || 1 || 12.3 || .427 || .324 || .792 || .8 || 1.2 || .5 || .0 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Washington
| 71 || 0 || 20.5 || .427 || .447 || .762 || 1.7 || 3.5 || .7 || .0 || 7.8
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Washington
| 75 || 24 || 26.5 || .433 || .341 || .875 || 2.0 || 3.5 || .6 || .0 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Orlando
| 76 || 69 || 30.7 || .433 || .383 || .771 || 2.5 || 4.2 || .8 || .1 || 10.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Houston
| 21 || 3 || 22.8 || .393 || .333 || .778 || 1.9 || 2.8 || .4 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 49 || 46 || 31.2 || .464 || .364 || .871 || 2.2 || 5.4 || .5 || .0 || 13.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 51 || 10 || 24.2 || .459 || .457 || .855 || 1.6 || 3.1 || .5 || .1 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 56 || 17 || 26.6 || .416 || .348 || .883 || 1.9 || 3.6 || .4 || .0 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 33 || 3 || 17.1 || .439 || .435 || .857 || 1.2 || 1.8 || .3 || .0 || 6.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 17 || 0 || 10.1 || .474 || .529 || .250 || .8 || .9 || .0 || .1 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Milwaukee
| 30 || 0 || 13.1 || .454 || .467 || .750 || 1.2 || 1.5 || .2 || .0 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Orlando
| 14 || 0 || 9.2 || .395 || .353 || .667 || .8 || 1.0 || .1 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 554 || 173 || 22.7 || .437 || .391 || .829 || 1.7 || 3.1 || .5 || .0 || 8.5
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 3 || 0 || 11.0 || .412 || .000 || .000 || .7 || 2.0 || .7 || .0 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 15 || 0 || 8.7 || .345 || .385 || .800 || .7 || .7 || .8 || .1 || 1.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
| 2 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .5 || .5 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Orlando
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || 1.000 || 1.000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 21 || 0 || 8.1 || .388 || .375 || .800 || .6 || .8 || .7 || .1 || 2.3
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who last played for the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The , 175 lb (79.4 kg; 12.5 st) point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
was selected out of the University of Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
by the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
with the 23rd overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft
1998 NBA Draft
The 1998 NBA Draft took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors....
, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, where he won two NBA championships in his first three seasons. Lue now works as Director of Basketball Development for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
High school and college
Lue attended Raytown Senior High SchoolRaytown Senior High School
Raytown Senior High School is a high school located in Raytown, Missouri. The school was established in 1914. The enrollment of Raytown High School currently stands at 1503 students. The school, located in downtown Raytown, underwent two years of renovations from 1992-1994...
in Raytown, Missouri
Raytown, Missouri
Raytown is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States, and is a suburb of Kansas City. The population was at 29,526 in 2010 census. The mayor of Raytown is David Bower.-History:...
. He later went to University of Nebraska. He played basketball and studied Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. He finished his Nebraska career ranked third on the all-time list in assists (432), fourth in three-pointers made (145) and attempted (407), fifth in steals (154) and seventh in scoring (1,577). Declaring for the NBA draft after his Junior season, he led the Cornhuskers in assists in each of his three seasons, and finished his career tied with Dave Hoppen
Dave Hoppen
David Dirk Hoppen is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA.Hoppen, a 6'11" center, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft....
for most games with 30 or more points (7).
NBA
Lue opted for early entry into the 1998 NBA Draft1998 NBA Draft
The 1998 NBA Draft took place on June 24, 1998 at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around three struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, and the Toronto Raptors....
. He was selected 23rd overall by the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with Tony Battie
Tony Battie
Demetrius Antonio Battie is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers.-High school and college career:...
in exchange for Nick Van Exel
Nick Van Exel
Nickey Maxwell "Nick" Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player and currently an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks...
on draft night. His first three years with the Lakers were disappointing. His playing time was limited, and he suffered from injuries in 2000. However, Lue excelled in the 2001 playoffs
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
. Due to his quickness, he was specifically used to guard Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
during the NBA Finals
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
. The Lakers' 4-1 series victory over Iverson's 76ers gave them the second of three consecutive titles.
In the off-season of 2001, Lue signed with the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, where he got considerably more playing time and subsequently became a better player at the point. He played with the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in 2003–04 where he got to play a lot of minutes alongside Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
while leading the team to the worst record in the NBA that season: 21–61. After the season Lue, along with Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard
Juwan Antonio Howard is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . The Heat were his eighth different NBA team. He was drafted fifth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets...
and McGrady were traded to the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
for Steve Francis
Steve Francis
Steven D'Shawn Francis is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He had also played for the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks...
, Cuttino Mobley
Cuttino Mobley
Cuttino Rashawn Mobley is a former American professional basketball shooting guard who played from 1998 to 2008 in the National Basketball Association .-Biography:...
and Kelvin Cato
Kelvin Cato
- College career :Cato was an obscure player averaging six points and six rebounds at the University of South Alabama in 1992-93. At that time, he struck up a relationship with then University of New Orleans coach Tim Floyd, who recognized Cato's potential. In 1994, Floyd took over as head coach...
. In Houston, Lue did not get many minutes of playing time because of the number of point guards the Rockets had on their roster. He was traded during the mid-season to the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
for Jon Barry
Jon Barry
Jon Alan Barry is an American former basketball player and current television analyst for ABC and ESPN.-Biography:Barry is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry, and has three brothers: Scooter, Drew, and Brent, all of whom are also basketball players. Jon played his high school basketball at De La...
. Lue starred in Atlanta, although he again led the team with the worst record in the NBA that year, and the worst record in franchise history: 13–69.
On February 16, 2008, Lue was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks and was waived by the Sacramento Kings on February 28, 2008. Lue signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
after clearing waivers.
On July 17, 2008, Lue signed a two-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
.
On February 5, 2009, Lue was traded back to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Keith Bogans
Keith Bogans
Keith Ramon Bogans is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Chicago Bulls.-High school and college:...
and cash considerations.
On October 23, 2009, Boston named Lue director of basketball development.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 15 || 0 || 12.5 || .431 || .438 || .571 || .4 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 8 || 0 || 18.3 || .487 || .500 || .750 || 1.5 || 2.1 || .4 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 38 || 1 || 12.3 || .427 || .324 || .792 || .8 || 1.2 || .5 || .0 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 71 || 0 || 20.5 || .427 || .447 || .762 || 1.7 || 3.5 || .7 || .0 || 7.8
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Washington
| 75 || 24 || 26.5 || .433 || .341 || .875 || 2.0 || 3.5 || .6 || .0 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 76 || 69 || 30.7 || .433 || .383 || .771 || 2.5 || 4.2 || .8 || .1 || 10.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Houston
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
| 21 || 3 || 22.8 || .393 || .333 || .778 || 1.9 || 2.8 || .4 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| 49 || 46 || 31.2 || .464 || .364 || .871 || 2.2 || 5.4 || .5 || .0 || 13.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 51 || 10 || 24.2 || .459 || .457 || .855 || 1.6 || 3.1 || .5 || .1 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 56 || 17 || 26.6 || .416 || .348 || .883 || 1.9 || 3.6 || .4 || .0 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 33 || 3 || 17.1 || .439 || .435 || .857 || 1.2 || 1.8 || .3 || .0 || 6.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 17 || 0 || 10.1 || .474 || .529 || .250 || .8 || .9 || .0 || .1 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
| 30 || 0 || 13.1 || .454 || .467 || .750 || 1.2 || 1.5 || .2 || .0 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 14 || 0 || 9.2 || .395 || .353 || .667 || .8 || 1.0 || .1 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 554 || 173 || 22.7 || .437 || .391 || .829 || 1.7 || 3.1 || .5 || .0 || 8.5
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1998–99
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
| align="left" | LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 3 || 0 || 11.0 || .412 || .000 || .000 || .7 || 2.0 || .7 || .0 || 4.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
2001 NBA Playoffs
The 2001 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2000–01 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers winning their second consecutive championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers...
| align="left" | LA Lakers
| 15 || 0 || 8.7 || .345 || .385 || .800 || .7 || .7 || .8 || .1 || 1.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 2 || 0 || 1.0 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .5 || .5 || .0 || .0 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 1 || 0 || 4.0 || 1.000 || 1.000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 21 || 0 || 8.1 || .388 || .375 || .800 || .6 || .8 || .7 || .1 || 2.3