Brooklyn Nets fired their head coach Kenny Atkinson in a surprising move over the weekend, and several high-profile names are rumored to be in the mix for his replacement. The most intriguing one is definitely Tyronn Lue, who is reportedly favored by Nets’ superstar Kyrie Irving.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill, Irving already began a campaign for Lue and is expected to push the front office for a reunion with his former coach. The pair previously won an NBA title together with Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lue was one of the favorites for Los Angeles Lakers’ head coaching vacancy in the offseason, but the two sides couldn’t come up to an agreement. He then took the role of an assistant with LA Clippers, but it’s believed that he would be ready to leave Doc Rivers’ staff if the right opportunity emerges.
Nets firing Kenny Atkinson came as a bit of a shock, especially since he managed to keep Brooklyn in the playoff seat even though Kevin Durant won’t suit up in 2019/20, and Kyrie Irving only played 20 games before being shut down for the season. Still, according to reports, Atkinson didn’t have the full support of the locker room, and his relationship with Irving took a bad turn early on, which ended up pushing him out of the door.
Besides Irving’s support, there are other things working out in Lue’s favor. He is a former player and is well respected around the league. Also, he won a championship ring while showing the capability to coach superstars.
Lue spent around two and a half years as Cavs head coach, posting 169-103 record and leading the team to three straight NBA Finals appearances.
