Club Shay Shay – Tyronn Lue, Part 1

Date: August 27, 2025
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Tyronn Lue (Head Coach, Los Angeles Clippers; 2x NBA Champion player; NBA champion coach)

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Shannon Sharpe sits down with Tyronn Lue for an insightful, wide-ranging conversation about Lue's journey from small-town beginnings in Mexico, Missouri, to his experiences as an NBA player and coach. They discuss the challenges of coming from obscurity, reflect on Lue’s playing days with the Lakers and legendary figures like Kobe and Shaq, dive deep into contemporary NBA trends—from roster building, load management, and player mentalities, to the evolution of coaching relationships—and touch on Lue's transition to elite coaching, culminating in historic NBA Finals moments and navigating the high-stakes environment of Clippers basketball.

Lue provides rare behind-the-scenes glimpses at NBA culture—sharing stories, leadership philosophies, and lessons from iconic teammates, his approach to coaching (including dealing with superstars), and candid takes on player legacies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Life & Motivation

• Growing up in Mexico, Missouri

  • Lue explains the unlikeliness of his NBA journey due to the obscurity of his small hometown.
  • “Come from Mexico, Missouri, small town where we call it ‘one way in, no way out’…to make it out and be able to help the people I be able to help is just a blessing.” – Tyronn Lue [04:01]

• Lack of Role Models

  • Idolized his uncle Jay Graves—picked #10 because of him.
  • “There was no one to look up to and idolize…TV wasn’t, you know, games on TV wasn’t big back then.” [04:56]

Clippers Coaching: Roster, Aspirations & Challenges

• Recent Roster Moves

  • Acquiring Bradley Beal, bringing back Chris Paul, resigning Harden, adding Brook Lopez.
  • Emphasis on health as central to their championship hopes.
  • “The biggest thing for us is just health. When your best players aren’t available…you gotta play a different style.” [06:19]

• On Bradley Beal’s Role

  • Replacing Norman Powell’s scoring and impact.

  • “We’re going to need him to score, but outside of scoring, we’re going to need him to make plays for other guys too…defensively he’s always been good, but you gotta challenge him…” – Tyronn Lue [08:19]

  • Balancing stars’ mentalities who are used to being “the man.”

  • “The talk really doesn’t matter because you don’t know how the team is structured…He might have took a backseat to KD and Book…but I don’t think, you know, with our team, he’ll get lost in the sauce.” [09:42]

• On Chris Paul’s Return & Expectations

  • CP’s leadership, professionalism, and healthy example for younger players.
  • “C.P., you know, being 40 years old and playing 82 games last year…He has done a great job as far as just changing his diet, how he eats, how he trains.” [10:46]

• Dealing with High Expectations & Being the League’s Oldest Team

  • “If you don’t have expectations, you don’t have a chance to win…as a coach, you should be running to that.” [11:39]

• Establishing a Clippers Identity

  • The importance of the new Clippers arena and moving out of the Lakers’ shadow.
  • “To have our own home and a place…you can leave your shoes in the locker room…is huge for us.” – Lue [13:27]

Player Work Ethic & Mentality

• Kawhi Leonard’s Relentless Work

  • Details Kawhi’s playoff-style preparation, even when injured.
  • “All the work he puts in, we see it every day…We gotta protect him from himself because, you know, sometimes he wants to play back-to-backs…” – Lue [15:15]

• Kawhi’s Personality

  • Debunks the “robotic” media persona: “Around his guys…he’s a funny dude, man.” [17:24]

Lue’s Playing Days: Adaptation, Defense, & NBA Culture

• Transitioning from College Star to NBA Role Player

  • Pivoted from being a scorer to a defensive specialist to get on the floor with Lakers.
  • “Never got me on the floor, but just…observing…I seen what they needed. When I got my opportunity…I just picked up. I ain’t never been a defensive player.” – Lue [27:59]

• Shaq’s Generosity & Locker Room Antics

  • Story of Shaq giving Lue $10,000 to go shopping as a rookie. [29:44]
  • Pranking teammates: Shaq putting feces in Devin George’s shoes, relentless jokester. [31:05]

• Dennis Rodman Memories

  • “He was a hard worker…quiet…gave everything he had every single day.” [32:51]

• Lakers Culture, Winning, and Team Bonding

  • Describes the Lakers' superstar-laden locker room as like being with the Beatles, and team camaraderie before the social media era.
  • “Every city we went to, Shaq had a party, a birthday party…” – Lue [34:08–35:04]

Facing Allen Iverson in the 2001 NBA Finals

• Lue shares inside stories about guarding Iverson, the infamous "step over", and his perspective on competing against his idol.
  • “If you play hard, you compete, there’s gonna be some things that happen that you don’t want to happen…people see me all the time…that’s the guy that AI stepped over…so that’s how I’m known. Not a three-time champion.” [37:04]

On Kobe Bryant: The Work Ethic & Mentality of a Legend

• Kobe’s Relentless Drive

  • Practicing one-on-one full court against Kobe, never beating him, and realizing Kobe was destined for greatness.
  • “At 17, 18 years old, to have the mentality to take those shots…Kobe, which is different, I’ve never heard him talk about money…it was always about, he wanted to be the greatest.” [41:14]

• On Kobe’s All-Time Ranking

  • Dismisses ranking Kobe 11th all-time as “crazy.”
  • “To win five championships…and to do all the things he did…come on man, like no, definitely not 11. That’s crazy.” [42:22]

• Shaq & Kobe Could’ve Won More

  • “They could have won eight…Nobody’s beating them.” [43:39]

• Kobe’s Approach in Practice

  • “Every single day he wanted to be the best player…when Glen Rice got there, he wanted to play him one-on-one, show him this is my team.” [54:01]

Inside the Minds of Legends: Jordan, Kobe, Iverson

• Inside Stories Playing with Michael Jordan (Wizards Era)

  • “A guy that’s 40 years old, averaged 21 points a game on one leg…you come to practice two hours early, think you coming in, about to work out…Jordan’s already done.” [55:05]
  • The awe of seeing Jordan in person, both as a player and public figure: “You can’t believe it’s him…there’s just like, he’s walking, you froze.” [56:39]

• Jordan’s Advice

  • “He gave me a lot of confidence…he’s like, ‘I don’t care if you miss five in a row, if you open, you gotta shoot it.’” [59:54]

• On Load Management & Culture Change

  • Reflects on how NBA practice regimens, expectations, and injury rates have shifted.
  • “Now all the guys my age, we can’t walk. I mean, we’re paying for it now in our older age.” [79:46]

• How Many Points Would Jordan Average Today?

  • “45.”
  • “What you mean you can’t touch nobody. It’s a foul…every time you get touched, it’s two free throws.” – Lue [58:19–58:52]
  • Sharpe: “You bull jivin’?”
  • Lue: “He averaged 36 one year. So yeah, add eight to that…” [58:24–58:38]

Coaching Philosophies & NBA Leadership

• Managing Superstars

  • “If you don’t have expectations, you don’t have a chance to win…as a coach, you should be running to that.” [11:39]
  • Phil Jackson’s approach: “He coached [Kobe and Shaq] harder than he coached us…if you get your top two players and your best players to buy in, what are we going to do?” [70:03]
  • On managing ego: “I’d rather take the risk than rather have a guy walk all over me.” [71:49]

• On the Modern Coaching Power Dynamic

  • “Back then…the coach had all the power. Now, if the star player don’t like what a coach is saying…he can get you up out of there.” [71:10–71:41]

• Truth-Telling as Leadership

  • “Just tell the truth…people respect the truth whether they like it at that point or not.” [86:56]

NBA Legacy & Teammates

• Discussing NBA Greats and All-Time Lists

  • On Dwight Howard: Should definitely have been Top 75: “Yes…they did him wrong, man.” [85:54]
  • Praise for Dirk Nowitzki’s quiet yet unselfish leadership and revolutionary skill:
    • “He was happy for other guys’ success…look up and he’s sixth or seventh all time in scoring.” [80:38]
    • “That one-legged step-back, unstoppable…comparable to Kareem’s hook.” [81:33]

• Coach & Player Camaraderie

  • Anecdote about breaking the player-coach divide with the Celtics (food after games), gaining locker room respect. [89:02–90:26]
  • Insights into working with KG, Rondo, and player/coach relationships.

• On Rondo as a Future Coach

  • “He’s definitely a head coach…he was the best person I’ve seen controlling the game.” [91:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you don’t have expectations, you don’t have a chance to win…as a coach, you should be running to that.” – Tyronn Lue [11:39]
• “To have our own home [arena]… you can leave your shoes in the locker room…that’s huge for us.” – Lue [13:27]
• “People see me all the time…that’s the guy that AI stepped over… Not a three time champion…so it’s whatever, right?” – Lue [37:04]
• “He [Kobe] wanted to be the best. And just… being there at 5 o'clock in the morning, being the first guy there…at that age, it was just phenomenal.” – Lue [41:37]
• “If [Shaq and Kobe] stayed together, they won seven, eight championships. Like, could nobody beat that dude…Nobody's beating them.” – Lue [43:39]
• “I would never say [Kobe is 11th all time]…in my era…no question at all.” – Lue [42:22]
• On Shaq’s pranks: “He went in the bathroom and…in Devin’s shoes…” [31:05]
• "He coached them [Kobe & Shaq] harder than us... If you get your top two players and your best players to buy in, what are we going to do?" – Lue [70:03]
• "Just tell the truth. People respect the truth whether they like it at that point or not." – Lue [86:56]
• On Dwight Howard: “He was dominant. On the defensive end, like it was like no other." [84:00]
• On Kawhi: "He's a funny dude, man." [17:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Small-town motivations: [03:35–05:34]
• Clippers roster & championship hopes: [06:19–12:11]
• Clippers' new arena / LA rivalry: [12:11–13:36]
• Kawhi Leonard’s dedication: [13:47–15:15]
• Kawhi’s work/life balance & media persona: [15:15–17:58]
• Tyronn Lue’s defensive pivot in LA: [27:59–29:09]
• Shaq’s generosity & pranks: [29:44–31:58]
• Rodman’s work ethic: [32:51]
• Lakers culture & camaraderie: [34:08–35:38]
• Guarding Allen Iverson (2001 Finals): [35:38–37:54]
• On Kobe’s drive, ranking, synergy with Shaq: [41:06–44:13]
• Jordan with Wizards—practice legend: [55:05–56:52]
• Jordan’s advice to Lue: [59:12–59:54]
• Changing culture in NBA practice/injuries: [79:01–80:00]
• Truth-telling as a coach & leadership: [86:56–88:13]
• Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy: [80:38–81:38]
• Dwight Howard’s career and Top 75 snub: [83:41–85:54]
• KG, Rondo, and Celtics dynamics: [86:05–94:41]
• End of part 1, Rondo as future coach: [91:13–92:15]

Conclusion

Tyronn Lue’s appearance on Club Shay Shay offers one of the most authentic looks inside the NBA—both its golden era and today’s evolving landscape. Through stories of adaptation, mentorship, and leadership, Lue reveals how the league's greatest personalities approach their craft, underscoring the importance of honesty, hard work, and embracing high expectations—whether as a small-town dreamer, a role player, or a head coach in the NBA’s brightest spotlight.