In a relaxed panel with Draymond Green and Baron Davis, Tyronn "Ty" Lue explains why Steph Curry is the toughest opponent to design a game plan around, emphasizing that coaches must adapt to personnel rather than force a system. The conversation shifts to Lue’s recent Olympic coaching stint, where he critiques the limited minutes given to Jayson Tatum and expresses a desire to someday become the USA head coach. Lue shares personal anecdotes, including his family tie to Tatum, his upbringing in Mexico and Kansas City, and his journey to the NBA. Baron Davis recounts his own high‑school recruiting experience, the challenges of playing with a broken ankle, and how watching Draymond Green inspired him. The group also jokes about age, training‑camp chances, and reflects on the 2021 Olympic gold‑medal game featuring LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry.
Chapters
What player is the hardest to game plan for?
It's always been Steph. Like, you know, I think, you know, um, Steph is— I mean, is, is one of the hardest— I mean, the hardest guy to game plan for, um, because of like everything he creates. He creates everything off his movement, like, you know what I'm saying? Like And people always wanna try to duplicate, you know, what Golden State does, but you can't duplicate that because your best player who was a Hall of Famer, who was top 5 player in the league, like, that's how he wants to play. You know, so they gotta come, man, why we don't like, you know, not our best— Kawhi's not gonna run around like that.
He not.
Mm-hmm. Oh, Draymond Green gonna run around like— James Harden ain't gonna run like that. Like, you know what I mean? So you, you can't duplicate that. And that's why I always say like, you gotta coach to your personnel. Not to your system, you know what I mean? Your personnel has to fit your system. If not, you gotta change and do different things. Like every year I coach different. I got a different system, you know, every year. But Steph is the player that loves to play that way. You know what I mean? So when you have your best player that wants to play that way, it's easy to do because everybody falls in line. But if you don't have that personnel and have the guys that do that, it's hard to play that style of basketball.
Totally. No, 1,000%.
I totally agree.
You had an opportunity this summer to coach, uh, the Olympics. Um, you know, it was a part of the staff, uh, Steve. And I'll be honest, I was one of the main people, one of the main guys saying, I don't understand how in the hell Jason Tatum's not getting any minutes. Um, I didn't understand it. Obviously y'all going to win, uh, but And looking back at that situation, was there something that could have been done differently to where Jason Tatum— because now he got this vengeance against us, and I'm not sure he got that same vengeance against y'all, T-Lou, but now he got this vengeance against us we don't really need. Right.
Um, that's my little cousin, you know.
Really?
So, yeah, from St. Louis. His dad is my, yeah, first cousin.
Wow.
Yeah, that's my— he My father was in Mexico when he was younger, so that's my cousin. So I feel bad for him, but, um, you know, we talked every single day. But the biggest thing for me, like, I'm gonna go against coach's decision. If I'm a coach, I'm gonna stand in, you know, whatever the head coach decision they make. Um, you would have— you would never hear me say I disagree, you know, not to anybody, because, um, you know, that's not my response. Like, my job is to be all in, you know. And so But I will say, I like the way JT handled himself. You know, he was professional. He didn't try to go home. And like I said, as a guy who's been first team All-NBA 3 years in a row, you know what I mean? Coming off winning the championship, you know, won a gold medal back in, you know, '21. Like I said, it was tough for him, you know? And so I just try to talk to him. I just try to be positive with him, keeping the right head space. And like I said, I'm just glad he got through it. I'm glad he got a gold medal, like you said. And he was able to play, like I said, that last game in the gold medal game. So, but I'd never be one of those guys where it's family or not. If I'm, you know, in the trenches—
Draymond Green, I'mma be clear.
You know, that's what it is. And so, but I am proud, like I said, Lil Jay, how he handled himself and how he conducted himself throughout the, you know, the hard time and adversity of, what he had to go through.
Nah, I think, I think that's dope. Do you ultimately, I don't think Steve's gonna do it forever. Do you hope to ultimately one day take that over and be the head coach of the USA team? Is it something you want to do again?
Yeah. I mean, I would like that opportunity because, you know, as a player, you know, you grow up with wanting to be on an Olympic team. Of course I wasn't good enough, you know what I mean? But like, you know, like that's what, that was your dreams, you know, winning the NCAA. Championship, you know, being, you know, Olympian, being able to represent your country. But now I have to do it in this capacity has been great, you know. So to be able to, you know, one day be the head coach, if that was possible, and be able to, to, uh, be a young Black man to, you know, win a gold medal for your country, I think it says a lot about our youth, about, you know, the evolution. He is looking up to us and, you know, being that, you know, young Black coach, you know, winning a gold medal for your country and representing your country —there's no better feeling than that.
If I'm still playing in 2028—
Me and Draymond coming to coach.
Ah, you coaching 'cause you can't move no more. If I'm still playing—
Hey, hey. I'm in the game. T-Low, next year I'm getting invited to go to State Warriors training camp. What do you think my chances are of making the team if I'm in shape?
Well, don't guard Steph.
I'm not messing with Steph.
Yeah, yeah. How do you not love it? You gotta be 42 now, 43. Yeah, like 38, 42.
It's over. It's a wrap.
I don't know about that. I'm like 37-43, you know?
Nah, I don't know, love. I ain't speaking on that. I ain't never kill nobody's dreams, you know what I'm saying?
I'm telling Draymond, hey, you think I'm playing? Watch me make that fucking team next year. Back to business. You watched Steph Curry go off in the final minutes of the Olympic championship game. Against France. One, how did it feel getting a gold medal in that fashion? And like, talk about the experience now, you know, coaching Steph in the Olympics.
To finally be on this team, I felt like Bron, like, you know what I'm saying? We went to the Olympics so many times and came up short, you know? But it was really good. You know, the thing that I like the most, take me out of it, is that, just KD, Steph, and Bron.
Yeah.
Like, you know, 3 guys. And it's like saying, our generation, like to be able to play together on that level, you know, to represent your country, to win a gold medal together. I think that was one of the coolest moments I've seen.
Yeah.
You know, just seeing those 3 guys come together. So that was great. And then my time, like you said, I've always dreamed of being, you know, in the Olympics, you know, represent my country. And to win a gold medal, like I said, alongside of Steve. How Bron felt about Steph, I felt about Steve, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
You know, battling every year, you know, battling, battling, you know what I'm saying? And Steve's a great coach. And to be in there with Spo and then having Mark Few from Gonzaga who was on the staff as well, man, it was just great to just, you know, learn so much and see so much, pick each other's brains. It was an amazing experience, man. So I'm just happy that, Like Steve, you know, extended the invitation as well as Grand Hill. And it was beautiful.
I wanted to share the story. You probably don't even know, Roy Williams recruited me. And when I was with the, y'all came out here for the Best in the West.
Uh-huh.
And at the time I was 5'3" and I used to watch y'all, you play for CMH.
Yes, we did.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So I was like, That's my guy. That's who I can be. When I saw you play on CMH, I was like, yo, I can be him. 'Cause I'm gonna be a little dude. And I played on Paul team. I don't even know if you remember that. I was on Paul's team.
When we played y'all in the Slam 'N Jam?
Yes, bro. Roy Williams and everybody in the camp thought I was a handicap kid.
What you mean?
Because I played with a limp. I was fresh. 3 days out of a broken ankle and I showed up at the Best in the West 'cause I just wanted to get recruited. So I only played garbage time, bro. And I had a lip.
How'd that go?
And I had a lip. I was the little dude on the team with the lip and everybody thought I was handicapped. Even Roy Williams. He was like, "What happened to that handicapped kid? He was so good." I was like, "Bro, that was me." But like, you are my guy, man. You are my guy.
Oh, that's cool.
And I never forget that. I watched that game like, damn. I'm gonna be like him, man. That little dude got game. That's right.
And he became 6'3", a perennial All-Star, max player.
Yeah.
You know? Draymond Green.
High five. Was that like one of the most shocking things that you had to deal with in like coming from a small city and like moving to like LA?
Yeah, so I grew up in Mexico till my sophomore year in high school. And then my sophomore year in high school, I moved to Kansas City with my Uncle Kevin. Okay. Draymond Green. And so, 'cause like in Mexico, wasn't being recruited, you know, there's a lot of politics, you know, as far as who plays, who doesn't play. And people wasn't coming to Mexico to see, you know, see kids play, you know? And so it was hard on my mom, you know, because like to let your son go as a sophomore in high school to move, you know, to Kansas City. I went to Raytown High School. It was hard for her, but if I wanted to get to where I wanted to get to, it was the right move. Yeah. You know, it was the right move. And so I played in Kansas City, went to Raytown High School, and then I played on the AAU team BD talking about with Derek Hood, Jamal Walker, Manny Dot. I think our whole team went D1. And the younger team underneath us that played up sometimes were Earl Watson, Corey Maggette, Jerron Rush, Coleon Young. So we had a team, and that's when I got my first look because I wanted to go to Georgia Tech 'cause I was, you know, Kenny Anderson.
Yes.
And Bob came to one of the games and he ain't looked at me one time, you know, but it took Steph that year. It took Steph, you know, but that's when I kind of like got my name and got on the map and that's when I started getting recruited and stuff. So it was huge for me.
