David Blatt was fired and Tyronn Lue was named the new head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. All everyone could think about was that iconic moment Allen Iverson stepped over Lue during Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals.
via ESPN:
“We became really good friends after that,” Lue said after practice Tuesday. “Like, after the Finals, probably four or five years after, we hated each other. But then after the careers went along, we became pretty close and had a good bond. He’s really a good friend of mine.”
“It definitely created buzz,” Lue said. “When I was going places it was, ‘Oh, that’s the guy Allen Iverson stepped over!’ Well, if you know that, then you know me. So that’s fine. I don’t have a problem with that. He’s going to arguably go down as probably the best player under 6-foot in NBA history, so I don’t have a problem with that at all.”
“I mean, if you look at the image, I played good defense,” Lue said. “He snatched it back, I contested his shot, I’m looking (at the trajectory of the ball), I fall down and he steps over me. People act like I got crossed over and I fell and he stepped over me. So, it doesn’t bother me. We won the championship. That’s all that matters. It’s all about winning.”
“That’s something they cherish,” Lue said of Philadelphia fans. “They cherish that moment of going to the Finals. I don’t know why they hate me so much. It’s like it was 3-3 and in Game 7 we won the championship. Like, it was 4-1! It wasn’t even close. It’s like, you mad that we won the championship, but it wasn’t even close. They still love that moment, so I don’t have a problem with that.”
