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Francona, Lue bond over Cleveland's title runs

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in Cleveland sports history, two teams have a chance at being champions, and in the process, two coaches are forming a unique bond.

After the Cavaliers defeated the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, Indians manager Terry Francona decided to reach out to head coach Tyronn Lue to congratulate him.

Only problem was, he never heard back.

"He sent me a text during the Finals," Lue said after Cavs practice, according to Dan McMenamin of ESPN.

"He had changed numbers, so I didn't really know who it was. When I was texting him the other night, I saw a text came from him, and I said, 'Oh (expletive). My bad.' He said, 'No I understand. You got busy.' We cleaned it up, and I had a chance to talk to him the other night."

With the Cavaliers prepping for their regular season opener on Oct. 25, Lue has had more time to reconnect with Francona. The two were already familiar with each other from their days in Boston, where Lue was an assistant coach for the Celtics and Francona managed the Red Sox to World Series championships in 2004 and 200.

Both also have interesting ties to Michael Jordan, as Francona managed the one-time baseball player in the minor leagues with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, while Lue was Jordan's teammate with the Washington Wizards. Lue was asked why he thought Francona's team was so successful and praised the manager's style.

"Just changing the culture, bringing a team together, bringing individuals together, and making them play hard together and like each other," Lue said. "That's what he does well, and he's going to continue to do that. He's done it so far this year."

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