LeBron James Told Tyronn Lue He'd Take Care of Cavaliers During Absence

Ty Lue revealed LeBron James told him that he would take care of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the coach's absence to deal with health issues.

"It was the best thing for me," Lue told reporters Thursday. "Having LeBron's validation, just being like, 'I got it. Take some time off, get yourself ready for the playoffs. I'll take care of the team. I'll make sure everything is good.' And he's playing at a high level, so he's a man of his word."

Lue, 40, missed the Cavs' last nine games after taking a leave of absence last month. Cleveland went 8-1 during that timeframe and currently sits third in the Eastern Conference. He's set to return for Thursday's game against the Washington Wizards.

"He's our championship head coach, so he knows everything about our team," James said. "He knows how to get the best out of our players, even though we've got a lot of new guys. But just his command, having him back out there, it's going to be good for us."

Lue has been dealing with an undisclosed medical condition throughout the season, which has caused him to miss all or parts of games. He said switching medication and committing to a better diet and workout regimen has him feeling better and comfortable returning to the team.

The Cavaliers have gone to two straight Finals under Lue's stewardship, including a 2016 championship. However, he has received some criticism for his performance during Cleveland's struggles earlier this regular season. There were rumblings about a firing during a dreary January swoon that led to a roster shakeup at the trade deadline.

"It was important to come back tonight and just kind of see if I can try to keep up the same routine that I've been having," Lue said. "We know the games will be late and it will be a little bit more difficult, but just with travel and being asleep on the road, and I've got to take my medication because sometimes I can be groggy in the first two or three hours when I wake up. I just got to get in a routine and [see] how that's going to feel."

The Cavaliers have four games remaining in the regular season. Those will likely serve as somewhat of a test for Lue to see if he can continue coaching the team going into the postseason.

Associate coach Larry Drew served as the interim head coach in Lue's absence.