Lue is expected to return Thursday
Tyronn Lue is rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers’ disjointed season.
Cleveland’s coach is expected to return from a medical absence and be back on the bench Thursday night against Washington. Lue, who has been away from the team since March 19 so he could focus on his health, reportedly has been cleared to resume his duties.
Lue had been experiencing chest pains, insomnia and other symptoms when he agreed to take a leave of absence from the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions. Lue’s illness is among several setbacks this season for the Cavaliers, who have encountered numerous injuries and revamped their roster with three trades in February.
Lue, 40, is coming back with four games left in the regular season and the Cavaliers clinging to the No. 3 seed in the postseason. After playing host to the Wizards, the Cavaliers will play at Philadelphia and play the New York Knicks twice next week.
Lue recently returned in an advisory capacity and has been at home games, but stayed behind the scenes at Quicken Loans Arena. He has been attending the team’s shootarounds for the past week and working his way back into a normal routine.
“He’s kind of been gradually getting back into it,” associate coach Larry Drew said Tuesday before a victory against Toronto. “I can see that the guys have already embraced him. So it’s just a matter of him being more hands-on now once he does get back.”
Lue is in his third season with Cleveland. While Lue was away, the Cavaliers went 8-1 under Drew, keeping the team from falling in the standings.
Elsewhere
Dimez slipped on his draft hat, shook hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and began life as the No. 1 pick in the draft. The video game draft. Dimez is Artreyo Boyd’s gamer tag and no he doesn’t run or jump like LeBron James or shoot like Stephen Curry. But he is a star at NBA 2K, and on Wednesday he was the first player chosen in the draft for the NBA 2K League, the first official esports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league.
The NBA is serious about its latest venture, having seen how esports has grown from a hobby among youth to an activity that sells out arenas, one that financial analysts say could grow into a billion dollar industry in the next few years.
So the NBA 2K League joined the WNBA and NBA G League as the fourth league in the NBA family.
The league will pay gamers $35,000 for six months, with housing and benefits paid. That’s comparable salary to a new player in the WNBA or G League.