The Charlotte Hornets have announced that they are set to hire Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their next head coach.
Lee is set to join the Hornets after the conclusion of Boston’s run in the NBA playoffs.
The 39-year-old Lee is in his first season in Boston and currently serves as the team’s top assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla. Lee has a decade of coaching experience in the NBA, working for the Hawks and Bucks before joining the Celtics for the 2023-24 season.
As part of the announcement, Lee said that “the opportunity to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true.”
Lee was a prominent head coach candidate this offseason and was reportedly in the running for the Los Angeles Lakers job.
Before getting into coaching, Lee was a star guard for Bucknell. After playing overseas as a pro, Lee went back to Bucknell to kick off his coaching career as an assistant before jumping to the pros.
Hornets VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson gave sky-high praise for Lee.
“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,” Peterson said. “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.”
As noted by the Hornets announcement, Lee will remain with the Celtics during their current playoff run.
