Overseas Check-In: How are former Hornets players performing in Asia?

The NBA season is coming to an end as the Finals slowly but surely approach. Similarly, basketball leagues all over the world are approaching their conclusion, and plenty of former Charlotte Hornets players are involved!

Last time around, we took a look at familiar faces in European leagues, so now it's time to see what's up in Asia! Similarly to last time, a player must have played at least one game in an asian competition this season to be considered.

1. Scottie Lewis (SG | 2 game for Charlotte)

This season: Mayrouba (Lebanon | 1gm - 0.0 pts, 1.0 rbs, 3.0 ast) & London Lightning (Canada | 9gms - 13.9 pts, 2.7 rbs, 1.8 ast)

Lewis was part of the Hornets' infamous 2021 draft class, which brought him to Charlotte alongside James Bouknight, Kai Jones, and JT Thor. None of these players saw their careers pan out as expected, but the latter three are still hanging around in the NBA.

The same cannot be said for Lewis, whose two-way contract with the Hornets ended in 2022. He was brought back initially to join the summer league roster, but broke his leg in practice, which put him out of action for a whole season.

Since recovering, he's spent time in Canada and Puerto Rico, winning the league title in the latter. This February, he made a single appearance for Lebanese club Mayrouba, before quickly going back to Canada, where he's continued to play since.

2. Xavier Sneed (SG | 4 games for Charlotte)

This season: Bnei Herzelia (Israel | 14gms - 17.9 pts, 3.3 reb, 1.8 ast)

With only four games played, one might think that Sneed came and went rather quickly. But he actually stuck around the organization for quite a while. Between 2020 and 2023, he appeared in a total of 86 G-League games for the Greensboro Swarm.

Sneed went to Italy following his career in the United States. He found great individual success there, but wasn't able to avoid relegation. So he changed scenery again in 2024. For Bnei Herzelia, a club in Israel, he's been a major contributor up until the middle of February.

Then Herzelia signed a few more American players, and Sneed didn't appear in any more games, because of a rule that prevents too many non-local players from taking up spots on the matchday roster. But he's still set up to have a successful career overseas.

3. Mangok Mathiang (C | 4 games for Charlotte)

This season: Daegu KOGAS Pegasus (South Korea | 4gms - 8.2 pts, 9.5 rbs, 1.0 ast) & Ningbo Rockets (China | 46gms - 12.0pts, 8.0rbs, 1.2ast)

This is the first real throwback on this list. Mangok went undrafted in 2017, but the Hornets used one of their two-way spots on the Louisville product. He didn't stick in the NBA and left America one year later.

It was the start of a lengthy and relatively successful career overseas for Mathiang, who has now played in Italy, Turkey, Slovenia, Australia, Israel, China, and South Korea.

One Italian cup and one Slovenian league title fill up his trophy cabinet, as the 32-year-old enters the latter stages of his career. We'll get to a college teammate of his later on!

4. Kobi Simmons (PG | 5 games for Charlotte)

This season: Zhejiang Chouzhou (China | 19gms - 15.4 pts, 3.5 rbs, 5.1 ast) & Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico | 16gms - 19.4 pts, 2.8 rbs, 5.1 ast)

But first, let's look at another undrafted player from 2017. Similarly to Xavier Sneed, Simmons didn't play a ton of games for Charlotte or in the NBA overall. But he did contribute a lot to the Greensboro Swarm, racking up 98 appearances.

Following a short stint with the Hornets in 2023, Kobi spent one year with the Toronto Raptors and their G-League affiliate before transferring to China. There, he teamed up with former NBA players like Damian Jones.

But, in what seems to be becoming a theme on this list, Simmons changed clubs midway through the season. He now plays for the Gigantes de Carolina in Puerto Rico, leading the team in scoring and assists.

5. Grant Riller (PG | 7 games for Charlotte)

This season: Beijing BeiKong (China | 49gms - 20.9 pts, 3.6 rbs, 4.3 ast)

A late second-rounder in 2020, Riller's games in a Hornets uniform were few and uneventful. Despite putting up solid numbers in the G-League, the undersized point guard never got another real shot at playing in the NBA again.

Instead, he headed to China in 2023 and joined Beijing BeiKong. Riller's remained there ever since and is currently forming a dynamic duo with former Boston Celtic Jared Sullinger.

6. Montrezl Harrell (C | 25 games for Charlotte)

This season: Adelaide 36ers (Australia | 28gms - 20.9 pts, 9.3 rbs, 2.0 ast) & Xinjiang Guanghui (China | 13gms - 11.9 pts, 4.4 rbs, 1.8 ast)

A college teammate of Mangok Mathiang at Louisville, a walking highlight reel alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte, and a former NBA 6th Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, had a more than impressive career in the United States.

After a multitude of challenging events off-court, Harrell's time in the association was over. He took a year off to contemplate if he should keep playing and wrote a very interesting column on that time period for the players tribune.

In the end, "Trez" decided he still had something left to give on the court. He's done nothing but that, coming up big for his teams in Australia and China this year.

7. Davis Bertans (SF | 28 games for Charlotte)

This season: Dubai BC (UAE | 27gms - 12.0 pts, 3.2 rbs, 1.1 ast)

Once one of the best sharpshooters in the NBA, by the time Bertans had arrived in Charlotte, it was clear that his days in the association were numbered. The few games he played for the Hornets in 2024 turned out to be his farewell tour as far as American basketball goes.

The 32-year-old transferred to Dubai BC, a club that is rumoured to play in the EuroLeague next year despite technically being located in Asia. Bertans has made a strong case to remain on the roster if he doesn't retire, hitting 41.5% from behind the arc.

8. Johnny O'Bryant (PF | 40 games for Charlotte)

This season: Anyang KGC (South Korea | 26gms - 16.1 pts, 7.4 rbs, 1.5 ast) & Uralmash Basketball (Russia | 14gms - 13.5 pts, 5.2 rbs, 1.1ast) & Sagesse Al Hekmekh Beiruth (Lebanon | 4gm - 11.5 pts, 6.2 rbs, 1.5 ast)

It only fits that on a list with plenty of mid-season team switches, the final player has managed to pull it off twice. Johnny O'Bryant spent the latter half of the 2017 season and the earlier half of the 2018 season with the Hornets before being traded to the Knicks in exchange for Willy Hernangomez.

To say O'Bryant has been around the world since then would be an understatement. The LSU product has suited for clubs in Israel, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, South Korea, China, the Philippines, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Lebanon.

Equipped with a deep shot, standing at 6-9, Johnny is a modern-day big, providing almost identical production every year. He's also had success off the court, founding his very own Manga company, "Noir Caesar".

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