Tyronn Lue: Three Black Coaches In Final Four Says A Lot About How We've Been Coaching

[RealGM Wiretap]

Tyronn Lue reflected on how three of the final four coaches this season are Black with Monty Williams of the Phoenix Suns and Nate McMillan of the Atlanta Hawks joining him. 

“Three of the four coaches left standing are going to be Black coaches,” said Lue. “That says a lot about how we have been coaching. Hopefully, so we can stop getting looked down upon so we can just build, build the way for other young Black coaches. 

“I think a lot of openings this summer, hopefully, a lot of GMs and owners will see that Black coaches are good coaches and hope they give an opportunity for the young coaches coming up today.”

Via Mirjam Swanson/Orange County Register

[tidho]

It says that three black coaches have done a good job coaching their teams this year. that's it. the white coach rounding out the foursome has also done a good job.

[BigHustle]

Brings back fond memories of LBJ coaching the Cavs to the 2016 Title.

[LipSkinMatter]

Tyronn Lue had people thinking he might actually have some brain cells for a couple of weeks and he has to go and show how much of a fool he is. Shame.

[ishoy123]

It says that three black coaches have done a good job coaching their teams this year. that's it. the white coach rounding out the foursome has also done a good job.

in fairness, the "white coach" has not done a good job. His team is in the ECF despite the coaching, not because of it.

[elmdawgg69]

I hope Lue and the Clippers lose now… what a dumb statement to make.

If I’m the GM of a team, I’m just going to pick a random black woman from the street and hire her as coach.

I still think the white coach will end up winning it all. That’s all that matters.

[kenwood3333]

Lue could have taken it one step further by stating that the executive of the year award is earned by the only black gm in the final team

[jk31]

So basically what ty lue is trying to say is, that in his opinion whites and Black are Not and should not be treated equal or what? between the lines He says "White coaches are Bad and Black coaches are superior because of skin color".

fight fire with fire or what? "instead of fighting racism with equality i try with even more racism" ....

[DoctorDunc]

Trying to be entertained by the NBA is really hard work!

[LogicalGM23]

Observing that 3/4 coaches left standing are black and hopefully wanting to build the way for other young Black coaches in a game where the very few is not an outlandish statement at all. The ones who have commented negatively need to relax. No need to "So basically what ty lue is trying to say is"----- he spoke for himself already. No need for your secondary commentary/opinion/translation on the matter. Lue said what he said with his own lips... Too many folks get contorted and what second hand information when you can just listen straight for the source. Congratulations on the progression. Shoutouts to the growth and evolution of the league. Now let's keep watching great playoff basketball and continue to grow towards a better future. Hopefully the people who are in control of the matter make the best & sound position. That's all we can ask for and let's continue to be honest and transparent about the situation.

[castor777]

So basically what ty lue is trying to say is, that in his opinion whites and Black are Not and should not be treated equal or what? between the lines He says "White coaches are Bad and Black coaches are superior because of skin color".

fight fire with fire or what? "instead of fighting racism with equality i try with even more racism" ....

Instead of jumping to this being a racist statement, maybe have a look around the league. Head coaches have been predominately white in a predominately black league. In 2021, we now have 8 black coaches. That might seem reasonable or more prominent if we were discussing the country as a hole, but again - 80% of the players in the NBA are black. So considering the demographics of the league and the dominance of white hired head coaches over the years, absolutely nothing about what Ty Lue said should be considered offensive at all. It's more or less stating the obvious.

[castor777]

It says that three black coaches have done a good job coaching their teams this year. that's it. the white coach rounding out the foursome has also done a good job.

Do you really think Bud has done a good job coaching? I'm psyched for Milwaukee fans getting to see the Bucks move on, but it seems like the weakest link and everything holding them back the most is the coaching. No doubt had they lost the Nets series he would've been fired. I truly believe KD being one inch further back on that shot would've ended Bud's job without a doubt.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Yes,

So basically what ty lue is trying to say is, that in his opinion whites and Black are Not and should not be treated equal or what? between the lines He says "White coaches are Bad and Black coaches are superior because of skin color".

fight fire with fire or what? "instead of fighting racism with equality i try with even more racism" ....

Instead of jumping to this being a racist statement, maybe have a look around the league. Head coaches have been predominately white in a predominately black league. In 2021, we now have 8 black coaches. That might seem reasonable or more prominent if we were discussing the country as a hole, but again - 80% of the players in the NBA are black. So considering the demographics of the league and the dominance of white hired head coaches over the years, absolutely nothing about what Ty Lue said should be considered offensive at all. It's more or less stating the obvious.

Only if you consider bouncing a ball to be the primary qualification for coaching.

Its A qualification, but a great many ball bouncers have never exactly been encouraged to use their heads over their bodies, to draw up plays, be strategists, manage organizations and people etc. Some have. Some do. Those are the guys who get the shots. Rajon Rondo might make a great coach one day. Michael Beasley never will.

[Winsome Gerbil]

Meanwhile Ty Lue's group of "looked down upon" black coaches includes himself, with 283 career games coached, who got his first coaching gig at age 38 with 0 head coaching experience and given the keys to a championship team, Nate McMillan, who has been a head coach for 20 years and has coached 1287 games and who got his first head coaching gig at 36, and Monty Williams with 587 career games, who also got his first gig at 39.

Truly a tough unfair road for each of them.

[HEKTOR]

Right, and how dare Brooklyn hire someone like Nash who has no experience. The overwhelming focus on race in the US will not lead to good things but potentially very bad things...

[jk31]

So basically what ty lue is trying to say is, that in his opinion whites and Black are Not and should not be treated equal or what? between the lines He says "White coaches are Bad and Black coaches are superior because of skin color".

fight fire with fire or what? "instead of fighting racism with equality i try with even more racism" ....

Instead of jumping to this being a racist statement, maybe have a look around the league. Head coaches have been predominately white in a predominately black league. In 2021, we now have 8 black coaches. That might seem reasonable or more prominent if we were discussing the country as a hole, but again - 80% of the players in the NBA are black. So considering the demographics of the league and the dominance of white hired head coaches over the years, absolutely nothing about what Ty Lue said should be considered offensive at all. It's more or less stating the obvious.

being Good at playing Basketball has nothing to do with the Qualification needed for being a Good Coach. or how Many (super)Stars actually went on and became great coaches?

[Ballknowledge]

I don’t wouldn’t read too much into this one. It’s important to remember 80-85% of the assistant coaches in the NBA are black compared to 25% of head coaches. No ones saying that every owner and front office is racist, but it seems fairly obvious a racial bias comes into play in some hiring of management positions in this industry and many others. Has it improved? Yes. Can it improve further? Also yes.

[castor777]

So basically what ty lue is trying to say is, that in his opinion whites and Black are Not and should not be treated equal or what? between the lines He says "White coaches are Bad and Black coaches are superior because of skin color".

fight fire with fire or what? "instead of fighting racism with equality i try with even more racism" ....

Instead of jumping to this being a racist statement, maybe have a look around the league. Head coaches have been predominately white in a predominately black league. In 2021, we now have 8 black coaches. That might seem reasonable or more prominent if we were discussing the country as a hole, but again - 80% of the players in the NBA are black. So considering the demographics of the league and the dominance of white hired head coaches over the years, absolutely nothing about what Ty Lue said should be considered offensive at all. It's more or less stating the obvious.

being Good at playing Basketball has nothing to do with the Qualification needed for being a Good Coach. or how Many (super)Stars actually went on and became great coaches?

I made no mention of superstars becoming head coaches and that seems completely irrelevant. The overall majority of the league is black, and there’s likely a ton of great basketball minds among them, regardless of their on court abilities. There’s a vast number of assistant coaches who are black as well, but few have progressed on to head coaches in the NBA’s history. I don’t see why it offends anyone that Lue thinks more of them deserve the chance.

[HEKTOR]

I made no mention of superstars becoming head coaches and that seems completely irrelevant. The overall majority of the league is black, and there’s likely a ton of great basketball minds among them, regardless of their on court abilities. There’s a vast number of assistant coaches who are black as well, but few have progressed on to head coaches in the NBA’s history. I don’t see why it offends anyone that Lue thinks more of them deserve the chance.

I don’t wouldn’t read too much into this one. It’s important to remember 80-85% of the assistant coaches in the NBA are black compared to 25% of head coaches. No ones saying that every owner and front office is racist, but it seems fairly obvious a racial bias comes into play in some hiring of management positions in this industry and many others. Has it improved? Yes. Can it improve further? Also yes.

Just curious, when is it enough? When all the coaches are black? 80%?

[castor777]

I made no mention of superstars becoming head coaches and that seems completely irrelevant. The overall majority of the league is black, and there’s likely a ton of great basketball minds among them, regardless of their on court abilities. There’s a vast number of assistant coaches who are black as well, but few have progressed on to head coaches in the NBA’s history. I don’t see why it offends anyone that Lue thinks more of them deserve the chance.

I don’t wouldn’t read too much into this one. It’s important to remember 80-85% of the assistant coaches in the NBA are black compared to 25% of head coaches. No ones saying that every owner and front office is racist, but it seems fairly obvious a racial bias comes into play in some hiring of management positions in this industry and many others. Has it improved? Yes. Can it improve further? Also yes.

Just curious, when is it enough? When all the coaches are black? 80%?

I’d say it’d be enough when people aren’t threatened or polarized at the thought of more black coaches. Quite frankly, I’m just surprised people took issue to anything he said here and actually found it controversial.