Skip to main content

While Ty Lue did not intend to criticize James Harden and Joel Embiid when mentioning that the two superstars would not be top-10 in scoring without free-throws, the dialogue surrounding his comments continues to persists. In a recent interview with Complex, James Harden addressed coach Lue's comments.

"I don’t even pay attention to it. Free throws are a part of the game. You look at who leads the league, Joel and Giannis, what about if you take away their free throws? I don’t understand what that comment meant. Free throws are a part of the game. It’s on the defense to have discipline and not foul. That’s what coaches should be teaching their players. For me I don’t pay attention to it, I just try to go out there and make an impact on the game in a positive way every night," Harden said when asked about Ty Lue's remarks.

Lue was asked about how to keep his players focused when guarding two players like Embiid and Harden, so when he referenced the unique statistic that emphasized how reliant the two star players are on free-throws, his comments became a major talking point. Lue has since clarified that he did not intend any disrespect to the two players, and was instead using that statistic to emphasize how difficult they are to defend; however, Harden still felt the need to defend himself from the free-throw narrative.

LeBron James Calls Ty Lue NBA's Best Coach

LA Clippers Players React to Play-In Loss

Robert Covington Wants to Stay With Clippers Long Term