SAN FRANCISCO — Tyronn Lue is regarded as one of the NBA’s finest minds, having helped lead the Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Championship and joining Steve Kerr’s staff this summer as Team USA brought home gold. A plurality of general managers voted Lue as the coach who makes the best in-game adjustments in this year’s annual survey.
He’s also a booster of Natalie Nakase, the Golden State Valkyries’ first head coach in franchise history.
“Natalie’s the best,” Lue said from the visiting team’s podium before the Warriors’ home opener.
Nakase worked for the Clippers for a decade, overlapping with Lue for the last four years of her tenure. She was an assistant coach and player development in a dual role with the Clippers and their G League affiliate. Part of her job responsibilities included aiding Lue in his in-game planning on both ends of the court.
“She’s just a hard worker,” Lue said. “Just dedicated to work. A lot of questions. And if you ask her a question that she doesn’t know the answer to, she’s going to go get it. Just over the years, she’s kind of like my little protégé.”
Related Articles
Golden State Valkyries |
Valkyries make splash by hiring Natalie Nakase as head coach
Golden State Valkyries |
WNBA reveals date, format for Golden State Valkyries expansion draft
Golden State Valkyries |
Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin has a blank canvas. Here’s how she might paint it
Golden State Valkyries |
Steph Curry leads Team USA to gold medal win over France
Golden State Valkyries |
Lakers will travel to Warriors as part of Christmas Day schedule
The Valkyries hired Nakase after a months-long hiring process. Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin and the ownership group are confident in Nakase’s ability to lead an organization and build it up from scratch.
After she worked with Lue and the Clippers, Nakase spent three season as an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces, winning back-to-back WNBA titles.
Nakase, a third-generation Asian-American, will become the first Asian-American head coach in WNBA history when the Valkyries begin their inaugural season next spring.
“I’m just happy she finally got an opportunity, because she deserves it,” Lue said. “All the work she puts in from Day 1, just seeing how she grinded to get to where she’s at today, I’m very excited and happy for her.”
Notable
— The Warriors stayed with their starting lineup for a third straight game, going with a five of Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis. In each of Golden State’s first two games, the starters struggled early, but opened the …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
