LeBron gives Tyronn Lue his flowers after win over Clippers

On Sunday evening, the LA Clippers had their five-game winning streak snapped by the Lakers. The Clippers picked a bad night to have an off shooting performance, and LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lake Show capitalized.

The strong play of Ivica Zubac and Paul George was not enough to overcome the Clippers' other deficiencies on Sunday, and they lost for just the third time in 17 games as a result. It is worth noting that this was the first time the Clippers had faced the Lakers with James Harden on the court.

Back on November 1 in the first meeting between these two teams this season, the Harden trade had just been finalized but James himself was yet to take the court, taking a little more time to get in game shape. After the game on Sunday, LeBron James was asked in the locker room what he thought about the "James Harden Clippers."

LeBron responded by shifting to a compliment of Head Coach Tyronn Lue, calling the team "the T-Lue Clippers."

LeBron complimented his former head coach after the Clippers' loss

A comment that could have initially come across as disrespectful to Harden was clearly just meant as a compliment for the Clippers' head coach. "I know T-Lue very well," said LeBron. "It don't take T-Lue long to make sure (stuff) gets right. Took him five games and they've been cooking since."

Of course, LeBron knows Ty Lue from his days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lue served as the Head Coach there from 2016 until 2018, helping lead the Cavs to the 2016 NBA championship. After going through such an unforgettable moment together, it is easy to see why they still have the utmost respect for each other.

While the Clippers vs Lakers rivalry can get heated, it is clear that there is still a mutual appreciation for the hard work and talent on the other side as well.