Tyronn Lue Autographed Nebraska Cornhuskers 8x10 Photo (Press Pass)

Tyronn Lue Autographed Nebraska Cornhuskers 8x10 Photo (Press Pass)

Tyronn Lue Autographed Nebraska Cornhuskers 8x10 Photo (Press Pass)

Lue opted for early entry into the 1998 NBA Draft. He was selected 23rd overall by the Denver Nuggets, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers with Tony Battie in exchange for Nick Van Exel on draft night. His first three years with the Lakers were disappointing. His playing time was limited, and he suffered from injuries in 2000. However, Lue excelled in the 2001 playoffs. Due to his quickness, he was specifically used to guard Allen Iverson during the NBA Finals. The Lakers' 4-1 series victory over Iverson's 76ers gave them the second of three consecutive titles.

In the off-season of 2001, Lue signed with the Washington Wizards, where he got considerably more playing time and subsequently became a better player at the point. He played with the Orlando Magic in 2003-04 where he got to play a lot of minutes alongside Tracy McGrady while leading the team to the worst record in the NBA that season: 21-61. After the season Lue, along with Juwan Howard and McGrady were traded to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. In Houston, Lue did not get many minutes of playing time because of the number of point guards the Rockets had on their roster. He was traded during the mid-season to the Atlanta Hawks for Jon Barry. Lue starred in Atlanta, although he again led the team with the worst record in the NBA that year, and the worst record in franchise history: 13-69.