The Los Angeles Clippers got Kobe and Jordan in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. Not Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, but the Clippers have superstars of their own already.

What Los Angeles hoped to find in the 77th NBA Draft were supporting players for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and they selected Missouri forward Kobe Brown at No. 30 and Miami (Fla.) guard Jordan Miller at No. 48.

“We build our team around our two stars,” said Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, “but you have to have complimentary skill sets.”

Before spending four seasons at Missouri, Brown was a standout at Lee High School in Huntsville.

Frank said Los Angeles chose Brown because he “checks the boxes” for the NBA team, and there apparently were a lot of boxes.

“Kobe Brown out of Missouri, an All-SEC player, is someone that checks the boxes we look for,” Frank said. “We start with just the mental makeup, his competitiveness, toughness, high work rate, loves to play. He’s got great length to play the position. He’s a skilled guy. He can dribble, pass and shoot. He made huge improvement in his 3-point shooting this year.

“And I think style-of-play change. He was fortunate to play for two terrific college coaches in Cuonzo Martin and then Dennis Gates. Coach Gates plays more of an open, I call it a Princeton-offense-on-steroids type approach. It really, really took advantage of Kobe’s strengths. At his size, the ability to play different frontcourt positions, so you saw they would put him in different actions and different big-small pick-and-rolls, so you saw his ball skills.

“On the NBA level, I think what you’ll be able to see him do is the ability to drive a closeout, be a connector, again his shooting – to be able to shoot 42 percent from 3 – and defensively they switch one though five. Now it’s a different level, as good as the SEC is, in terms of going into the NBA, but you saw the length, his smarts.

“And then (general manager) Trent (Redden) and I were fortunate. We were able to take him out to dinner during the draft process. Spent time with him. Terrific, terrific young man from Huntsville, Alabama. Played for his dad (Greg Brown), who was his high school coach. We’re really, really excited to add Kobe to our group.”

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But what the Clippers want Brown to do with that basketball skill set and positive characteristics is to become part of the supporting cast for Leonard, George and, possibly, Russell Westbrook, if Los Angeles can re-sign the nine-time All-Star.

Brown understands the assignment.

“Just whatever they need,” Brown said. “I just want to win. Wherever they need me is where I want to be. I don’t have a specific position as it is. I just want to be a winner. …

“Personally, I just want to be a great NBA player. I just want to stick. I want to be a guy that a team really needs. I just want to help a team out, help the Clippers out.”

Los Angeles’ supporting cast already includes guard Eric Gordon, forwards Marcus Morris and Nicolas Batum and center Robert Covington, who have at least 10 seasons of NBA experience apiece, as well as eight-year veteran Norman Powell and seven-year veteran Ivica Zubac.

“I’m definitely going to learn a lot,” Brown said. “I don’t have a choice playing with that many vets and superstars. It’s going to be fun. I’m going to learn a lot really quick. I’m excited to get down there and get to work.”

The 2018 Class 5A Player of the Year at Lee-Huntsville, Brown is a 6-foot-6.5, 252-pounder who averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 34 games during his senior season at Missouri in 2022-23.

At 6-4.5 and 192, Miller is more of a backcourt player than Brown, but Frank lauded both for their versatility. Miller averaged 15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2,7 assists and 1.2 steals for Miami last season.

Both the Clippers’ draft picks played in the NCAA tournament last season, with the Hurricanes reaching the Final Four.

“What they both share is high basketball IQ,” Redden said. “They both got played through a good amount in their systems in college, so they served as connectors and glue guys already even though they scored. Their defensive versatility that (Frank) touched on and then their overall competitiveness, I think all three of those, if they can show that at the level we expect of them from seeing them in college at the summer-league level, that’ll be the first step to eventually getting to a place where we think they can help us.”

The NBA 2K24 Summer League will be held in Las Vegas from July 7-17 with every NBA franchise fielding an entry.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.