Charles Lee (born November 11, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a two-time NBA champion, having won his first championship with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach. He was previously an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics, helping to coach them to the 2024 NBA Playoffs, where he won his second NBA Championship. A 6'3" guard from Bucknell University, he spent most of his professional career in Israel and Europe.
| Charlotte Hornets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head coach |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 11, 1984 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg, Maryland) |
| College | Bucknell (2001–2006) |
| NBA draft | 2006: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2006–2010 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Coaching career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2006–2007 | Hapoel Gilboa/Afula |
| 2007–2008 | R.B.C. Verviers-Pepinster |
| 2008–2009 | BG Göttingen |
| 2009–2010 | Artland Dragons |
| As coach: | |
| 2012–2014 | Bucknell (assistant) |
| 2014–2018 | Atlanta Hawks (assistant) |
| 2018–2023 | Milwaukee Bucks (assistant) |
| 2023–2024 | Boston Celtics (assistant) |
| 2024–present | Charlotte Hornets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach:
| |
College career
editThe 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year, Lee helped guide Bucknell to two straight Patriot League Championships and two straight NCAA tournament second-round appearances. In four seasons with the Bison, he earned First Team All-Patriot League honors twice (2004, 2005) and Second Team All-Patriot League honors once (2003). He finished his career at Bucknell with 1,147 career points (11.0 ppg), 568 rebounds (5.5 rpg) and 167 steals (1.61 spg).[1]
Lee enrolled at Bucknell a year before the school started offering athletic scholarships, and never received anything more than partial financial aid.[2] The New York Times called him "[one of] college basketball's best nonscholarship players".[3] At Bucknell, Lee majored in business.[2]
Professional career
editAfter graduating from Bucknell in 2006, Lee played with the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA's summer league and pre-season, but he did not make the regular season roster. He has since played for Hapoel Gilboa/Afula in Israel,[1][4] Verviers-Pepinster in Belgium and MEG Goettingen and Artland Dragons in Germany.[5] After retiring from basketball, Lee worked on Wall Street for Merrill Lynch. [1]
Coaching career
editAssistant coach (2012–2024)
editOn June 25, 2012, Bucknell announced that Lee was returning to his alma mater as an assistant men's basketball coach.
On August 20, 2014, the Atlanta Hawks announced that Lee had been hired as an assistant coach on head coach Mike Budenholzer’s staff.[6]
After Budenholzer parted ways with the Hawks and became the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Lee would move to Milwaukee and join Budenholzer’s staff as an assistant coach in 2018.[7][8] After the departure of top assistant coach Darvin Ham to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022, Lee would ascend to become the associate head coach of the Bucks.[9]
On June 11, 2023, it was reported that Lee would be hired by the Boston Celtics as their top assistant coach.
Charlotte Hornets (2024–present)
editOn May 9, 2024, Lee was hired to be the new head coach of the Charlotte Hornets.[10] He officially joined the team following the Celtics' victory in the NBA Finals.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b Bucknell Alum Charles Lee Signs with Israeli First Division Team Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Lee gets grades, not scholarship checks
- ^ No Free Ride for Lee, Just the Ride of His Life
- ^ Israeli League, Game 19: April 19, 2007
- ^ Eurobasket.com Profile
- ^ Atlanta Hawks Add Charles Lee and Ben Sullivan to Coaching Staff
- ^ "Bucks Name Assistant Coaching Staff". NBA.com. June 7, 2018.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer fills staff with ex-Hawks". NBA.com. June 7, 2018.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Announce Coaching Staff Updates". NBA.com. August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Name Charles Lee Head Coach". NBA.com. May 9, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
- ^ Reed, Steve (June 25, 2024). "Former Celtics assistant Charles Lee introduced as Hornets coach". NBA.com. Retrieved November 22, 2024.