NBA fans often say, “Clippers gonna clip.” And it seems that is exactly what’s happening with the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Before Steve Ballmer bought the franchise, the Clippers were widely regarded as one of the most cursed teams in the league. The latest report about Ty Lue and alleged illegal poker nights puts even more pressure on the team. If the Kawhi Leonard Aspiration drama wasn’t enough, the Clippers now find themselves in even more hot water.
Latest Off-Court Story Proves the Clippers Can’t Escape Drama
Just when Clippers fans thought that the offseason drama was behind them, another headline hit the news cycle. This time, it was Lue, the Clippers’ head coach who found himself in a controversial story. Pablo Torre, the same journalist who started the Aspiration story, now has another report. He claims Lue was part of a controversial poker game with Chauncey Billups. According to his report:
“According to multiple sources with direct knowledge of that April 2019 game in Vegas that we’ve been discussing, the same one where Billups was allegedly profiting off of an extremely suspicious hand and a rigged shuffling machine, another ‘face card’ in attendance was current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue.”
In 2019, Lue was an assistant coach for the Clippers. Torre’s sources say he was not playing at the same table as Billups. But it is worth noting that Lue and Billups have been close friends. In 2020, when Lue became the head coach, he hired Billups as an assistant. Torre also reminded fans that Lue lives in Vegas during the offseason and he loves poker.
What Happens Now With the Clippers?
At the moment, Lue is not part of the FBI investigation, but that might change in the future. Previously, there were reports about other NBA superstars joining these rigged poker games. Playing poker is not illegal per se, but being part of mafia-organized rigged poker games is where the NBA draws the line. If the FBI investigation leads to Lue, the Clippers might have to replace him the same way the Portland Trail Blazers did with Billups. Two names who could replace him are assistant coaches with previous head coaching experience like Jeff Van Gundy or Brian Shaw.
How Will the Drama Impact the Clippers’ Season?
The news about Ty Lue being part of alleged illegal poker games is still fresh, and there is no denying that there will be some questions about it at the next Clippers press conference. But if they handle it like the Kawhi situation, they will be fine.
After a whole summer of speculation about cap circumvention, Kawhi dismissed the questions during media day, and he hasn’t spoken about it once since then. The Clippers started the season 2-2, but the bigger challenge will be figuring out the rotation. They have already had to change the starting lineup due to Bradley Beal’s injury. They have the oldest team in the league, and missing games might become the standard for them. But every time a key player misses time due to injury, they lose a chance to develop chemistry.
Lue was already under pressure to figure out rotations for players who want minutes, and now, with the poker drama hanging over his head, it will be an even more challenging season.
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