Celtics

Hornets hire Charles Lee, Celtics’ top assistant, as head coach

“The opportunity to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets is a dream come true,” Lee said in a statement.

By The Boston Globe

May 9, 2024

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Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee was named head coach of the Charlotte Hornets Thursday morning. He is expected to remain with the Celtics for the rest of their playoff run before beginning his new role.

“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 a finalist for head coaching jobs with the Pistons and Lakers last summer before being hired as coach Joe Mazzulla’s top assistant in Boston. He previously had stints as an assistant with the Hawks and Bucks, and helped Milwaukee to the NBA title in 2021.

In Boston, Lee helped build the Celtics’ second-ranked defense. Point guard Jrue Holiday played for Lee with the Bucks and worked closely with him after being acquired in a trade last fall.

“Charles has always been the type to be very teacher-esque,” Holiday said earlier this year. “If I have any questions or anything like that, I could always go to him.

“But he’s always quizzing me on plays, he’s quizzing me on schemes, what we want to do defensively. Literally just walks up to me and asks me a question about something, and I have to answer. So always just keeping my mind going, my mind engaged.”

Mazzulla said Lee being hired as a head coach was “long overdue.”

Mazzulla, considering he just took over as Celtics coach at the beginning of last season, was asked if he had any advice for Lee. Mazzulla shook his head and said, “Everybody hates you, get used to it. You’re no longer the shiny new toy.”

Lee’s experience, relationship with Holiday, and positive attitude made him a welcome addition to the Celtics’ staff this season, Mazzulla said.

It was announced in April that Hornets coach Steve Clifford would step down at season’s end and take a role in the team’s front office.

Celtics assistant general manager Austin Ainge was a finalist for Charlotte’s general manager opening in February, but the team ultimately hired Nets assistant general manager Jeff Peterson.

Mazzulla said the goal when an assistant leaves is typically to hire from within.

“That’s why you have the structure that you have and have the staff that you have,” Mazzulla said. “All of our guys have done a great job and that’s kind of the first goal, is retention. And then we’ll kind of go from there.”

White hot

Derrick White has been on a tear, entering Thursday night’s Game 2 against the Cavaliers shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range during the playoffs.

He was the Celtics’ No. 2 scorer through six postseason games, trailing Jaylen Brown.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he’s seeing a newfound confidence in White that has led to a hot streak.

“That’s the thing when you watch NBA players,” Bickerstaff said. “A lot of them are similarly talented, but the belief in themselves and the security in themselves, as that grows that changes people.

“You look through the league, and sometimes it goes up, sometimes it goes down, but you see him playing with supreme confidence right now. Some of the shots that he’s taking and making, you wouldn’t recommend that people take. He’s taking them with belief and confidence and knocking them down.”