Hornets hire Celtics assistant Charles Lee to be next head coach

Boston Celtics lead assistant Charles Lee has accepted an offer to become head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced Thursday. Lee’s contract with Charlotte is a four-year deal, ESPN reported.

“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.”

Lee, 39, was hired by the Celtics in the 2023 offseason after a five-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, serving as their lead assistant in his last season there. He was a part of Milwaukee’s ascension into the league’s elite, including when the Bucks won the title in 2021. As a result, he had become a coaching commodity in recent years, securing a few interviews for head coach vacancies.

However, Lee wasn’t able to land a head coaching gig in the past few offseasons. After the Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer last spring, Lee found his way onto Joe Mazzulla’s reformed coaching staff.

Lee will join the Hornets once Boston’s season ends. The Celtics were the best team in the league during the regular season, winning 64 games, and hold a 1-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” VP 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.”

Lee played college basketball at Bucknell from 2002-06. After four years of playing professionally overseas, Lee joined his alma mater’s coaching staff in 2012. He remained there for two seasons before becoming an assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks in 2014.

Former NBA player and current ESPN analyst JJ Redick was reportedly among the finalists for the job. Lee was also reportedly a candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers head coach vacancy after the team fired Darvin Ham earlier in May.

The Hornets’ hiring of Lee comes after they went 21-61 in the 2023-24 season, which was the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Steve Clifford moved into a front office advisory role at the end of the regular season.

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