WASHINGTON, July 18 -- The Washington Wizards Wednesday signed point guard Tyronn Lue, the third-stringer from the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who is best known for blanketing MVP Allen Iverson in Game One of the NBA Finals. The 24-year-old Lue agreed to a multi-year contract.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Lue endured an injury-plagued regular season and averaged just 3.8 points in 38 games for the Lakers. But in the postseason, the 6-foot, 175-pounder caught the eyes of NBA personnel with his defensive quickness.
From the middle of the third quarter until late in the overtime of Game One of the Finals, Lue did his best to shut down Iverson as the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit. However, Lue made a critical mistake in the extra session, driving the lane and missing badly before he was knocked to the floor. Iverson capitalized, taking a pass in transition and drilling a three-pointer to give Philadelphia the lead for good.
Lue played 22 minutes and had five points and five steals in Game One and added five points in 17 minutes in Game Three of the Finals.
In Washington, Lue will compete for a starting job with Chris Whitney. The Wizards have been shopping for a point guard since waiving Rod Strickland in March.
A first-round pick of Denver in 1998 out of Nebraska, Lue was sent to the Lakers in a trade for Nick Van Exel.
