In a statement posted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, head coach Tyronn Lue revealed that an unspecified and unknown health issue has caused him to take a leave of absence. Associate head coach Larry Drew is going to take over while Lue gets healthy.
What’s most scary is that after tests, doctors aren’t exactly sure what Lue has. But whatever it is, it has caused Lue to have chest pains and has been exacerbated with a lack of sleep, which is common if you’re a pro basketball head coach.
“After many conversations with our doctors and Koby and much thought given to what is best for the team and my health, I need to step back from coaching for the time being and focus on trying to establish a stronger and healthier foundation from which to coach for the rest of the season.
I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year. Despite a battery of tests, there have been no conclusions as to what the exact issue is.
While I have tried to work through it, the last thing I want is for it to affect the team. I am going to use this time to focus on a prescribed routine and medication, which has previously been difficult to start in the midst of a season. My goal is to come out of it a stronger and healthier version of myself so I can continue to lead this team to the Championship we are all working towards.
I greatly appreciate Dan Gilbert, Koby Altman, our medical team and the organization’s support throughout.”
Yeah, one can make the cheap joke that LeBron was already coaching the team or that nothing really changes since LeBron will be there but this isn’t really the time to be that snarky. It’s bad enough to be diagnosed with something but it’s even worse when you know something is wrong with you and nobody knows exactly what that is.
The most important thing isn’t about how this affects the team, particularly going into the playoffs, but that Tyronn Lue gets healthy and gets back better than ever.