Charles Lee spent a lone season with the Celtics, assisting Boston to its record-setting 18th title, which also marked the official (and expected) transition to now-head coach of the Hornets.
Charlotte introduced Lee as the franchise’s 12th head coach on Tuesday, which gave the organization an opportunity to explain its leadership choice.
“He’s an excellent communicator,” general manager Jeff Peterson said, per Steve Reed of The Associated Press. “He’s competitive. He’s constantly trying to figure out ways to get better. I know that at night he goes to sleep thinking, ‘How can I make the Charlotte Hornets better?’ And, he’s a winner.”
Last offseason, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla hand-picked Lee when assembling Boston’s staff. Lee was hired as the top assistant, but before landing the 39-year-old, the Celtics had to patiently await the outcomes of head-coaching searches from the Pistons and Raptors — both of which expressed interest in Lee, who finished a finalist for each position.
The mission in Boston was simple: Banner 18 or bust. After going 16-3 in the postseason and celebrating in a confetti-filled TD Garden, the final buzzer of Game 5 represented both a mission accomplished and the end of Lee’s tenure with the Celtics.
Settling in with the Hornets, the circumstances are significantly different for Lee. Charlotte won just 21 games, finishing 43 games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, earning the team the sixth overall pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft.
Without having stepped on the sidelines, Lee’s already garnered roster praise from the Hornets, including welcoming words from Grant Williams — who spent four seasons with the Celtics.
“It definitely carries some weight, some respect, because he knows what it takes to win it all,” Williams said, per Reed. “He was the associate head coach on both championship teams, so he had a direct impact in the development and style of play. He’s been around a lot of greats and he will do wonders for guys like LaMelo (Ball) and Brandon (Miller), who are trying to be special.”
