Hornets Pass Up on Former Sixers Sharpshooter for Coaching Job

Former Philadelphia 76ers veteran JJ Redick won't coach against his former team in the East after all.

Feb 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; General view of Charlotte Hornets logo at Spectrum | David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

A former Philadelphia 76ers sharpshooter won’t take over as the Charlotte Hornets head coach after all.

While JJ Redick has garnered some notable interest over in Charlotte, the Hornets have hired an Eastern Conference assistant for the role.

According to a press release, the Hornets announced they are hiring Charles Lee, a ten-year assistant, who will wrap up his time with the Boston Celtics at the end of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

“We are excited to welcome Charles Lee as the head coach of Charlotte Hornets,” said Hornets Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson. “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.”

Since 2014, Lee coached in the NBA, getting his start as an assistant with the Atlanta Hawks. After four years in the ATL, Lee joined the Milwaukee Bucks’ bench. In 2023, Lee joined Joe Mazzulla on the Boston Celtics. He was considered Boston’s top assistant at the time of his hiring.

Last season, Lee was a notable head coaching candidate when several jobs across the league became available. He finally gets his big break, joining a Hornets team that finished 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-61 record last season.

As for Redick, he’ll remain a candidate. The former player is just a few years removed from his last playing stint with the Dallas Mavericks. While Redick didn’t jump right into coaching after his retirement, he’s been getting some interest from organizations lately.

Perhaps, the former Sixers sharpshooter will join somebody’s bench sooner than later. For the time being, the Hornets are going to move forward with Lee in charge, with Redick continuing to cover the game as an analyst.