Charles Lee praises Charlotte's 'young core' in first Hornets interview

Matt Alquiza | May 9, 2024

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

Charles Lee knows a thing or two about talent.

The Charlotte Hornets new head coach, the 11th in franchise history (if you only count Steve Clifford once), has recent history coaching up some of the NBA's premier players.

He spent four years as an assistant in Atlanta from 2014-18 where the core of Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, and Al Horford racked up wins under head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Lee followed Coach Bud to Milwaukee where he won his first championship on the back of Giannis Antetekounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Most recently, Lee has spent the season in Boston under the tutelage of coach Joe Mazzula. The Celtics are in the middle of their second round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and are the favorites to take home their first NBA title since 2008.

Lee, 39, is still young compared to some of his coaching counterparts, but he boasts immense experience to pair with his youthful exuberance. In a recent interview with the Charlotte Hornets VP of Digital Media Matt Rochinski, Lee listed the Hornets' young core as one of his reasons for taking his talents to the Queen City.

“First things first it’s a talent rich roster. I look at the young core that we have and it excites me. All of potential we have there, and the growth opportunities that there are on the team...”

Lee has extensive experience both playing and coaching in the backcourt, and his beam when Rochinski brought up the Hornets guards LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller was palpable.

"...it does excite me. You watch those young guys right now and they're still trying to find their way, and who they are in the NBA. I think first things first, we have to come with the right approach. That every day we have the opportunity to get better. Whatever that consists of for every player, we have to attack it and be obsessed with daily improvement. I think from what I've seen from those guys, they have that DNA. That's why the Hornets decided to draft Brandon, and draft LaMelo, because they're the type of guys that you want to build around."

If Lee's bite matches his bark, the young guard duo in Charlotte should take a huge leap in 2024-25. A leap that could propel the Hornets up the standings into an area that Lee is familiar with. In his last 10 seasons as an assistant coach, Lee's teams have amassed a ridiculous 508-289 record, winning 64% of their games.

In Charles Lee's past 10 seasons as an assistant his team has amassed an impressive 508-289 record (64%).

The teams he has coached have finished top 10 in both offense and defense for 5/10 seasons, finishing with the best net rating 3 times. pic.twitter.com/OtBtXjkVom

— James Plowright (@British_Buzz) May 9, 2024

Charlotte's new coach has plenty of experience coaching against the Hornets. Spending his entire coaching career in the Eastern Conference (some of it in the Southeast Division specifically) has allowed Lee to become familiar with Charlotte basketball's ongoings. Rochinski asked Lee about what has impressed him when scouting the Hornets over the years.

"I see a group that just plays with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. I think that on the defensive end we have to create an identity of who we want to be. I think on the offensive end, continuing to play with pace, play together, play with the pass, and also try to give us a little identity on that side of the ball too. The biggest thing it's going to come down to I think, is how competitive are we going to be? That's a mental competitiveness, a physical competitiveness, and then also the component of how much are we going to do this for one another."

The Charlotte Hornets have done the hard work of stockpiling the top of the roster with talented players. The 'big three' of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams have all of the potential in the world to rise up the ranks in the East. Young teams like the Thunder, the Timberwolves, and the Knicks have taken massive leaps in recent years due to hitting on draft picks and landing the right coach. Each of their coaches (Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch, and Tom Thibodeau) bring different skillsets, experience levels, and philosophies to the table, but each have led their programs to previously unimagined heights.

For a Charlotte team that has never reached a conference final, that has a new coach, a new general manager, and new owners, the Hornets can allow themselves to believe that the ceiling is much higher than the roof they've been limited to for decades.