As Clippers’ new CEO comes to L.A., news conference is planned

With Richard Parsons taking over as chief executive of the Clippers, Coach Doc Rivers said he expects the two of them to have a good work and personal relationship.

Parsons flew to Los Angeles on Sunday and will have a news conference Monday at Staples Center. He also will meet with the Clippers’ employees to start the transition process for the team.

Rivers said the team won’t be able to meet Parsons on Monday because it’s flying to Oklahoma City for Game 5 of the Western Conference second-round playoff series that’s tied at 2-2.

Rivers said he and Parsons spoke Friday, the day NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the new hiring.

“I envision it’s going to be very good,” Rivers said Sunday. “He’s a very smart man — smarter than me. I’m really looking forward to learning a lot from him.

“He’s had a lot of life, if you want to say that. I love being around people that have experienced a lot in life, not just in sports, but outside of our world and in other worlds. He’s met some really interesting people. I plan on trying to learn from him.”

Parsons is a senior advisor at Providence Equity Partners and is a former Citigroup and Time Warner chairman.

The NBA announced Tuesday that Clippers president and NBA alternate governor Andy Roeser was taking an indefinite leave of absence.

Roeser had been in charge of the Clippers’ business affairs.

While Parsons runs the business side of the Clippers, Rivers, the team’s senior vice president of basketball operations, will continue to run the basketball side.

“Just from our brief talk, he basically said, ‘You’re doing the basketball. I’m doing the business. Let’s make that clear,’” Rivers said. “I jokingly said, ‘Yeah, you’re going to be doing some basketball too.’ We’re going to need him to make some decisions in that arena too. I’m looking forward to building the relationship.”

Parsons was hired to help the Clippers after Donald Sterling was heard on an audiotape making remarks about African Americans.

Silver has urged other NBA owners to force Sterling into selling the team, banned him for life and fine him $2.5 million.

Granger provides lift

Danny Granger sat on the bench for the first 31 minutes 43 seconds of Game 4, getting up only during timeouts.

But he played in the final 14:17 of the game and all of the fourth quarter, making an impact that Rivers said “was huge for us.”

Granger had just one rebound and missed his only shot, but his defense was big for the Clippers when he played power forward in the fourth.

“I already told Doc, ‘Whatever you need me to do to win, whether [that’s] scoring or playing defense or playing small, I’ll do that,’” Granger said. “We have a special team.”

Etc.

Hedo Turkoglu missed his sixth consecutive playoff game with a fractured lower back.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner