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Clippers Confirm Tyronn Lue Has Been Hired As New Head Coach

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Clippers have confirmed the hiring of Tyronn Lue as the team's head coach, taking over for the ousted Doc Rivers.

The team tweeted the announcement Tuesday saying, "Introducing Head Coach T-Lue."

"Ty has been where we want to go. He is a championship head coach with an extraordinary feel for the game and the people who play it," Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement. "He's one of the great minds in our league, and he's able to impart his vision to others, because he connects with everybody he meets.

"We conducted a thorough search and spoke with fantastic candidates," Frank said. "We found that the best choice for our team was already in our building. As head coach, Ty will put a unique imprint on the organization, and drive us to new heights."

Terms of his deal with the team were not released.

"The pieces we need are in place -- committed ownership, smart management, and elite talent, on and off the court, in the NBA's best market," Lue said in a statement released by the team. "... We have work to do to become champions, but we have the motivation, the tools and the support to get there. I'm excited to get started."

The 43-year-old was an assistant coach with the Clippers last season.

He was the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018, who along with superstar LeBron James lead them to three straight NBA Finals trips, the first of which in 2016 resulted in an NBA title.

The Clippers parted ways with longtime head coach Doc Rivers late last month.

The 59-year-old Rivers stepped down after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, despite building a 3-1 series lead. Denver advanced to the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Lakers in five games.

Rivers had coached the team since 2013.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)

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