Hornets hire Charles Lee as head coach

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charles Lee will be the next head coach for the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced Thursday.

Lee is currently with the Boston Celtics, serving as the primary assistant. His 10 years of experience also features time with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, reaching the playoffs nine times.

In his latest season with Boston, Lee helped take the team to a 64-18 record, the best in the NBA and fourth most wins in franchise history.

Before the NBA, he started his career at his home university of Bucknell. The Washington, D.C. native also played for the Bison for four years before playing four seasons professionally overseas.

“The Hornets have a talented young core of players and I’m excited about our future and what we can build here,” Lee said. “There are few places as passionate about basketball as the Carolinas, and I look forward to coming to Charlotte and getting to work.”

The hire comes after former Hornets head coach Steve Clifford stepped down in early April. Clifford went 45-112 in his two seasons of his second stint as coach of the Hornets and just 18-57 this season, and 337-457 in parts of 10 seasons as a head coach, most of them in Charlotte. 

“I can’t wait for our Hornets community to meet Charles, his wife Lindsey and his beautiful daughters, and feel Charles’ passion for the game and the intensity of his desire to win,” Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson said Thursday. “He shares our vision for this organization, and I look forward to partnering with him in building something special here in the Carolinas.”

The Hornets will hold a news conference after Boston’s playoff run ends, according to their social media post Thursday.