The Charlotte Hornets have found their new coach, hiring Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, the team announced Thursday.
Lee has been an NBA assistant coach for the past 10 years and joined the Celtics’ coaching staff for this season. Before that, he was an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-23) and Atlanta Hawks (2014-18), serving with former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer in both Milwaukee and Atlanta. He has no previous experience leading his own team and, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Lee’s deal is for four years.
The Hornets said Lee will be introduced at a news conference after the Celtics playoff run.
“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said in a statement. “His high character and his ability to connect with players while also instilling a culture of accountability will serve us well as we construct a competitive team built for long-term success.
“Charles possesses a championship pedigree 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.”
In four of the last six seasons, teams Lee was a part of have finished with the best record in the NBA.
“The opportunity to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true,” Lee said in a statement. “The Hornets have a talented young core of players and I’m excited about our future and what we can build here. There are few places as passionate about basketball as the Carolinas, and I look forward to coming to Charlotte and getting to work.”
