Lue eligible to coach East All-Stars, adding another twist to bizarre saga

The NBA All-Star Game will be played outside of the United States for the first time ever, but that may be the least unusual thing about next month's event in Toronto.

The league confirmed Friday that new Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is indeed eligible to helm the Eastern Conference. NBA rules state that the individual chosen to oversee each squad is the coach of the franchise that is in first place of their respective conference after games played Jan. 31 (unless that person coached the All-Star team the previous season).

Should the Cavaliers remain in first place in the East on the morning of Feb. 1, Lue will have coached five games, and a total of 11 before All-Star Weekend on Feb. 12-14. The situation has already got people talking about perhaps considering giving the honor to the next-winningest coach in the conference.

The call in the Western Conference has been controversial all season as well, with Luke Walton coaching the Golden State Warriors to a NBA-best 39-4 record before handing the reins back to Steve Kerr - out three months following back surgery - Friday night.

Yet because of the aforementioned rule regarding back-to-back years, any Warriors coach in theory would be ineligible to lead the Western Conference this season since Kerr coached the squad last year.

Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs is currently in line to be tapped as the West's bench boss, but the league said Friday they are reviewing Walton's eligibility.