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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

February 12, 2016

Tyronn Lue

Toronto, Ontario

Q. What did Kobe say to you or what did he know about you when you first got to the Lakers?
TYRONN LUE: When I first got there he was still young. He was Kobe, but he hadn't been a starter yet. And that third year of his career, that was my first year, Rick Fox went down and he stepped in and took a starting role. But just seeing the film he watched all the time, the players he was talking about, the Oscar Robertsons, Michael Jordans, the Magics, he knew from day one who he wanted to be like. He knew that to be the best, you had to work hard. That's what he did every single day. Not one day did I see him take off.

Q. What have you seen from Cleveland since you took over as head coach?
TYRONN LUE: Our defense is worse.

Q. And besides that?
TYRONN LUE: Well, we're scoring a lot of points now. We're playing faster and we're playing with pace. But in doing that, I think guys are not in great shape yet, so now we're saving it for the offensive end and not competing on the defensive end. So now we've got to try to get both ends of the floor.

Q. Do you feel the locker room is healthier since you became head coach?
TYRONN LUE: I wouldn't say healthier. I just think guys are going out and competing and trying to enjoy the game. Like I said before, Coach Blatt did a phenomenal job. It was an unfortunate situation. It's not like it was a bad locker room when he was there.

Q. He and Griffin said there were a lot of problems in the locker room?
TYRONN LUE: All the problems he had, I'm not sure of the problems he had. I don't know what they were.

Q. Do you think Coach Blatt deserves to be in this league and should coach one of the teams?
TYRONN LUE: Yes. Like I said, me and Coach Blatt have a great relationship. He did a great job. We went to the NBA Finals together, and he's put us in this position to be number one, close to the All-Star Game. So I think Coach Blatt definitely deserves a job in this league.

Q. Do you still speak to him?
TYRONN LUE: Yes.

Q. Do you know that you've become somewhat of a villain in Israel because many people claimed you did not support him when he was fired?
TYRONN LUE: Yes, I've heard that.

Q. What do you make of that?
TYRONN LUE: As long as Coach Blatt knows we have a great relationship and I've talked to him and he has my back and support, I'm at peace.

Q. Along those lines, from the time you were playing until now, it seems like the chain for coaches has gotten shorter and shorter and shorter, leash. Now your situation is kind of emblematic of that. What do you think has led that to happening?
TYRONN LUE: Led to what?

Q. The fact that it seems coaches have a shorter and shorter leash?
TYRONN LUE: I think maybe the owners are running out of patience. I'm not sure. So that's why to talk to the guys, it's good to get a long-term deal because you never know what's going to happen in this league.

My situation alone, we were number one the East, went to the NBA Finals and something like this unfortunately happens. So you've got to be prepared for anything.

Q. You've worked under Doc, played for Phil Jackson and you've played and been around a long time. What do you think is required to stay in the job for a long time?
TYRONN LUE: I think you just have to continue to see improvement every year. A lot of times I know ownership gets anxious and they think they're better than what they really are, so that tends to play a part in it. But like you said, there have been some unfortunate situations and you've got to be prepared every day, and you've got to be prepared for the worst.

Q. Are you a villain anywhere else in the world? Do you have a high school rival where you're a villain?
TYRONN LUE: No, I've always been great. That's why it's a tough situation for me. Eighteen years in this league and having a clean image, being who I am on and off the court, it's been difficult for me to go through this. But it's something I have to go through now and we'll see what happens.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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