Hornets hire Celtics assistant Charles Lee as new head coach

The Charlotte Hornets hired Boston Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee as their next head coach, the franchise announced Thursday.

Lee, 39, is a veteran and respected assistant coach who also spent time with Atlanta and Milwaukee and at his alma mater, Bucknell.

“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,” Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said in a news release. “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.

“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.”

Lee was an assistant for Mike Budenholzer when the Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021 and joined Boston coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff following the 2022-23 season. Lee, who played at Bucknell, was the Patriot League player of the year in 2006. He had a brief professional career overseas and worked as an equities trader on Wall Street before turning his attention to coaching.

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Lee has been a candidate for other jobs and now takes over a Hornets team that finished 21-61 this season. They have the third-best odds to get the No. 1 pick and a 50% chance to get a top-four pick in the 2-24 NBA Draft.