Charlotte Hornets hire Charles Lee as head coach

May 9, 2024 – Charlotte Hornets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson announced today that the team has hired Charles Lee as head coach. Lee, who has 10 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach, will join the Hornets after finishing the NBA playoffs with the Boston Celtics, where he spent the 2023-2024 season as the team’s top assistant.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets,” Peterson said. He added: “His high character and ability to connect with players while instilling a culture of accountability will serve us well as we build a competitive team designed for long-term success.” Charles has a championship record with a wide range of basketball knowledge and NBA experience, has a tremendous work ethic and is a great communicator. He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in the Carolinas.” I can’t wait for the Hornets community to meet Charles, his wife Lindsay, and his beautiful daughters, and feel Charles’ passion for the game and the intensity of his desire to win.

Prior to his time in Boston, Lee served for five seasons (2018-2023) as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he ascended to the position of associate head coach and helped guide the team to the 2020-21 NBA Championship. He began his NBA career as an assistant coach for four seasons (2014-2018) with the Atlanta Hawks. During his ten seasons in the NBA, Lee’s teams compiled a regular season record of 510-291 (.637), reached the playoffs nine times, captured seven division titles and earned five seedings in the No. 1 Eastern Conference In four of the past six seasons, his team has finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA.

“The opportunity to take over as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true,” Lee said. “I would like to thank Rick Schnall, Gabe Plotkin and Jeff Peterson for the trust they have placed in me to lead this team. The Hornets have a group of talented young players and I am excited about our future and what we can build here. There are few places that have a passion for basketball like Carolina, and I look forward to To come to Charlotte and start working.

During Lee’s 2023-2024 campaign with Boston, the Celtics finished with the highest record in the NBA (64-18). Boston’s 64 wins were the fourth-most in a single season in franchise history. With Lee’s help, the Celtics led the NBA in offensive rating and net rating while ranking third in defensive rating.

While in Milwaukee, despite two shortened regular seasons due to the coronavirus, the Bucks averaged 54.2 wins over Lee’s five years with the team, including a 60-win campaign in 2018-19, for the third-most wins in history. One season in franchise history.

While with Atlanta, Lee helped engineer a Hawks defense that ranked sixth in defensive rating for three straight seasons. In Lee’s first year with the team (2014-15), Atlanta won a franchise-record 60 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lee began his coaching career at his alma mater, Bucknell University, where he was an assistant for two seasons (2012-14). He played four seasons (2002-2006) with the Bison, leading the team to two Patriot League titles and only two NCAA Tournament victories in school history, including a win over No. 3 Kansas as a No. 14 seed in 2005. He was inducted into the 2017 Hall of Fame Bucknell Athletics Lee was the 2005-06 Patriot League Most Valuable Player, a three-time Patriot League selection and the first player in conference history to win consecutive Patriot League Most Valuable Player awards. Awards. Lee logged four professional seasons abroad with stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany.

A native of the Washington, D.C., area, Lee and his wife, Lindsey, have three daughters, Corinne, Vivian, and Josephine.

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