The Los Angeles Clippers made headlines on Thursday when they hired Tyronn Lue to be their next head coach. Unsurprisingly, Clippers superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George reportedly played a key role in Lue's hiring.

This report comes via Jovan Buha and Joe Vardon of The Athletic:

From that perspective, Lue had a leg up on other candidates. The Clippers understood his high Q rating with the team’s players. The Clippers consulted Leonard and George on the candidates they were considering, and what qualities they sought in a head coach, league sources said. Neither player wanted the final say on the decision, but both offered to share their input, if the Clippers saw it necessary. Ultimately, both players told the Clippers that they trusted the front office and were on board with Lue’s hiring, believing he matches the criteria.

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As it is indicated in the excerpt above, neither of the two stars wanted to actually have a final say on the matter. Nonetheless, they did sign off on the hiring, and the fact that Lue served as an assistant to former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers last season surely impacted their decision to do so.

Lue appears to be a great fit for the team, given how he has already established a good working relationship with Leonard, George, and the rest of the squad. He's also a proven winner, too, having won the NBA championship as a rookie coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

With their coaching search now out of the way, LA can now focus on a number of key personnel decisions that need to be made as the franchise looks to make a more significant challenge for the title next season. The Clippers disappointed in the playoffs this past season, but they're ready to put that behind them.