NBA Notebook: Celtics champion Charles Lee begins head coaching career with Hornets

CHARLOTTE -- When news broke that the Charlotte Hornets hired Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their coach to succeed Steve Clifford, who stepped away after two years helping the franchise transition from James Borrego when Kenny Atkinson backed out of accepting the job in 2022, Lee was in Boston preparing for Game 2 against the Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. The Hornets last played 25 days earlier against Cleveland, wrapping up a 21-61 season with a win, while Boston went on to play for 39 more days after their Game 2 loss to the Cavs. 

Over that stretch, Lee balanced formulating his plan for Charlotte with finishing the job for Boston.

"I had a relationship with Charles before, because we went to Basketball Without Borders two years prior, so I'd known him from that," Grant Williams said on Friday. "So when he got the job, I texted him immediately. I was like ... we always talked about you coaching me, and I thought it was gonna be in Milwaukee, and that you would go to Boston, and I thought I was gonna be in Boston, and I'm not in Boston anymore, and now it's in Charlotte.

"It's really cool to have him here. The first thing we talked about is just getting guys together ... we had a group chat with Melo, myself and everybody else trying to just communicate ... (Lee) did his actual job being with the Celtics, but also checking in on us, making sure we're doing our thing, making sure we're prepared for this upcoming year and giving tidbits on what he wants and expects." 

Mark Williams, Brandon Miller and Grant soon decided to attend Game 5 of the Finals, not only to meet Lee where he was, but to watch the Celtics on the verge of their 2024 championship. Charlotte, building around Mark Williams, Miller, who finished third in 2024 rookie of the year voting, and LaMelo Ball, an oft-injured yet talented star prone to making mistakes, would almost be starting fresh under Lee. They wanted to see all the little things that go into winning a championship, and what the outcome looks like. Mark, a Duke basketball alum like Jayson Tatum, and Grant, a former Celtic, briefly popped into Boston's locker room as the champagne sprayed following the win. Across the room, Lee officially became their head coach. 

Four months later, after the Celtics arrived for an early season back-to-back, someone from Boston delivered Lee the Celtics' massive championship ring. It marked his second as a coach, the previous coming in 2021 with Milwaukee, and he built a strong résumé winning tons of regular season games and making multiple strong playoff runs as Mike Budenholzer's long-time assistant with the Hawks and Bucks, Lee fell short in various interviews, including the Celtics' when they eventually hired Ime Udoka. Before he joined Boston under Joe Mazzulla, he looked like the favorite to land the Pistons job before the team made Monty Williams, who hadn't planned to coach that year following his dismissal from Phoenix, an offer Williams couldn't refuse. The Bucks fired Budenholzer that summer after a first-round loss to the Heat, and moved quickly to hire Adrian Griffin, effectively ending Lee's Milwaukee tenure. 

"(Organizations) reached out to me (about Lee as a head coach candidate)," Jrue Holiday, who played for Lee with the Bucks and Celtics, said on Friday. "I typically give them the truth. Even here, I talked to a couple people here before he got the (Charlotte) job and just told him my opinion on Charles as a person, I felt like that's more important than just the coach, just give them my opinion and I guess they liked him." 

"(I said) that he's a loser," Holiday joked. "No, (I said) that he's a great person. He's a family guy, you've seen him in multiple organizations, he's loved in multiple organizations ... he brought some new ideas (to Milwaukee). He brought some calm, he doesn't get too over the top or too low, but at the same time, he'll correct you when you need to be corrected, and he was never afraid of that, no matter who the person was." 

Most former players and teammates from Lee's playing career discuss his personality and people skills over concrete basketball visions he provided to his teams. Mazzulla emphasized how he acclimated Holiday to Boston, who the Celtics coincidentally landed in a trade months after hiring Lee. He already knew Al Horford from their time together in Atlanta and the defensive philosophies he coached under with Budenholzer, a major drop proponent, translated naturally to a Celtics team that also emphasized taking the rim away. Lee brought go-to plays from his past stops, coached both sides of the ball and became a relationship-builder on the team. Before games and at practices, Lee and Holiday regularly worked out one-on-one. 

Lee lights up the room with his smile, talkative demeanor and acknowledgment of everyone in the room, which a former teammate compared to Doc Rivers. He greeted all the Boston reporters in the room on Friday for his pre-game press conference by name, shaking their hands after he finished talking for nearly 11 minutes about his time with the Celtics and his hopes for making an early statement with the Hornets by beating the reigning champions. Holiday hoped their matchup would feature plenty of trash-talking. Lee paused when he was told about the comment, thinking aloud whether he wanted to respond with a joke or something serious about the player he won so many games with.  

"As a coach (in Boston), I was able to see how it works to have that much talent on your team," Lee said. "To have the target on your back all year, as one of the best teams in the NBA. I felt like we had that in Milwaukee, but it was a little bit different. This team had gone through some hardships, the Celtics that is, and they were just trying to get over the hump. So to go through that journey with them last year and see all that had to go into it was really cool for me and my growth, to all of a sudden figure out, how do you go through some disappointment, add some different pieces to the team, make it all blend together and try to win a championship in a year?" 

"I learned a ton from Joe, phenomenal coach, phenomenal person. He and I actually built a really good relationship, which I was very appreciative for, and I'm thankful that he brought me in last year. One of the things I learned from him is creativity. He is just so open-minded, he is so creative, he just goes with his gut. If it's something that he believes in and he thinks is gonna help the team, he does it with full-on passion and I really admire that about him. It's something that I've tried to do myself." 

Lee won on opening night in Houston, receiving the customary water bottle shower from his team for his first win that Mazzulla received in 2022. The early challenges happened quickly alongside that success, Mark Williams missing the start of the season with a foot injury, Miller going down in the opener before Charlotte lost close games to Atlanta and Miami before needing 138 points to sneak past Toronto. They've played offense through Ball, offseason addition Tre Mann and Seth Curry, leading top-five highs on that end 29th-ranked challenges on defense. 

Sam Hauser called Lee a teacher at heart, and will need to shift from maintaining the temperature on his previous veteran teams to forming foundational skills and habits on a team known for its looseness. Grant said he can be tough and build you up, depending on what's necessary. 

"He has that good feel. The same way he played on the court is the same way he coaches, with passion, with care." 

The potential and pitfalls showed in Friday's loss to the Celtics, Lee lining up to the right of Mazzulla along the sideline in his new teal warm-up with former Boston coaches Jermaine Bucknor and Blaine Mueller shouting instructions to players behind the bench. Clifford is still around, advising the team as a defensive guru, while former Hornets and Celtics star Kemba Walker joined the staff in player development as he pursues coaching in his first year of retirement. The game began well, Ball pouring in tough shots, Charlotte penetrating to the basket with pace and 51.1% from the field to trail by only four points at halftime. They worked within 100-99 early in the fourth, then allowed an 8-0 run, unable to protect their own basket the other way. 

The Hornets' offense faltered late too, leaving empty-handed on 7-of-8 possessions while the Celtics shot ahead 109-101. Jaylen Brown blocked Mann on a physical play along the baseline to cap that stretch and Lee drew a technical foul. One moment later, he called his sixth timeout with 4:13 left, a glaring difference over how Mazzulla would handle that situation. Eight plays and less than two minutes later, Miles Bridges missed a layup, Tatum grabbed the rebound inside and Grant made a beeline for Tatum as he ran in transition, hip-checking him to the floor and getting ejected for the flagrant two foul. Ball contested underneath Tatum on the following play, earning another flagrant, and moments later, Bridges leaped to block a dead ball shot by Tatum into the stands. The referees ejected him with 34 seconds remaining, a close game and loud atmosphere dwindling into a 124-107 blowout. 

"I think he's definitely got his work cut out for him," Brown said when asked about Lee after. "But I think he's handling it with grace and I wish him well. Just not against us." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this year...

Atlanta (2-4): Slow start further hampered by injuries to Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), who's out for four weeks, De'Andre Hunter (knee), Dyson Daniels (hip) and Vit Krejci (thigh), among others. That thrust Larry Nance Jr. into the starting lineup on the wing in Friday's loss to Sacramento and Zaccharie Risacher, whose early inconsistency continued with three points in 20 minutes yesterday after breaking out for 17 in a matchup against No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr and the Wizards. The Hawks host the Celtics on Monday at 7:45 p.m. 

Boston (5-1): Sam Hauser (back) returned from a three-game absence and played limited minutes in an overtime loss at Indiana, where Boston trailed by as many as 24 points, and Friday's win in Charlotte. Al Horford sat out the latter, which Luke Kornet started before Neemias Queta closed in a 6-for-6, 12-point effort. Queta had sparked a double-digit fourth-quarter comeback against the Pacers before playing the entirety of overtime, which ended with Jaylen Brown missing a game-tying three-point attempt after Jayson Tatum tied the game at the end of the fourth with a three. Tatum received a hard foul two nights later from former teammate Grant Williams, who received a flagrant two foul and an agitated response from Brown. Grant said the hit wasn't intentional. Lonnie Walker IV signed with Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas after declining to sign with Maine, as reported by Boston Sports Journal. 

Charlotte (2-3): Brandon Miller (glute) and Mark Williams (foot) remained out for the first of two games against the Celtics, a 124-109 loss they had stayed in for most of the night before Grant Williams and LaMelo Ball's back-to-back flagrant fouls on Jayson Tatum. Charles Lee said he didn't see the Williams foul or Miles Bridges' ejection after swatting a dead ball shot by Tatum into the crowd, but stressed that both players need to be able to stay on the floor. While Miller nears a return, Ball has posted big numbers and Tre Mann has been a revelation since arriving from the Thunder, many of this team's worst habits appear far from finished. More importantly, they don't seem to have the depth to sustain one major injury, never mind too. They host the Celtics again at 6 p.m. on Saturday. 

Chicago (3-3): Zach LaVine played in Friday's loss to the Bulls despite a sprained AC joint and Lonzo Ball will sit out at least 10 days with a right wrist sprain that could worsen and require surgery if he returns too soon. Ball fell in a solid win over the Grizzlies before Chicago scored a defensive win against the Magic, winning 3-of-4 prior to Friday's letdown. 

Cleveland (6-0): The only undefeated team in the east after the Celtics' loss on Wednesday and the Cavs' wins over Washington, New York, the Lakers and Magic over the last week. Cleveland ranks second in offense behind Boston in Kenny Atkinson's first season while maintaining their top-level defensive stature (No. 3). Their +16.3 net rating exceeds the Celtics' (+12) and Evan Mobley is a larger part of their offense, averaging 18.3 PPG while shooting 56.4% from the field and 45.5% from three. Darius Garland is back on his feet after a down year, averaging 19.0 PPG on 50.6% shooting. They face the reeling Bucks in a home-and-home to begin this week. Cleveland gave a warm welcome to Cavs legend LeBron James' son in his first trip there.

Denver (2-3): Another difficult night saw the Nuggets lose their playoff rematch against the Wolves, 119-116, while Jamal Murray entered concussion protocol. MIchael Porter Jr. and Nikola Jokić each scoring 26 points alongside Aaron Gordon's 31 and Christian Braun's dunk on Rudy Gobert weren't enough, while Jokić needed 29 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists to sneak by the Nets in overtime on Tuesday. ESPN profiled Jokić and the Nuggets at a crossroads as he enters his 30s with shrinking talent around him, revealing that Denver pursued Paul George over the summer. 

"If we don't win it this year," Porter Jr. said. "We all know they might have to break it up."

Detroit (1-5): Nearly overcame a 23-point deficit against the Celtics behind strong scoring nights from Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey before beating the Sixers for JB Bickerstaff's first win with the Pistons. They've been competitive, playing the Pacers, Cavs and Heat tight before Friday's 30-point loss to the Knicks mounted their losses. They rank 26th in offense and 23rd in defense, and still clearly have a long way to go. Ausar Thompson remains out due to a blood clot issue from last year, Bickerstaff saying this week it's out of the team's hands as he awaits NBA clearance to return. 

Golden State (4-1): Steph Curry (ankle) sprained his left ankle in an eventual loss to the Clippers on Sunday. He returned after initially suffering the injury in the third quarter, then aggravated it in the fourth. Calling it a moderate injury, he missed the team's wins over the Pelicans on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning to practice on Friday. He'll be evaluated on Sunday, remaining out on Saturday against Houston, potentially setting him up for a Monday return in Washington. The Warriors visit the Celtics on Wednesday, led by Buddy Hield, who scored 21 and 28 points, respectively, in their last two wins. 

Indiana (2-4): Aaron Nesmith (ankle) left Friday's loss to the Pelicans while Isaiah Jackson (calf) looked like he suffered a significant injury that awaits further evaluation. Myles Turner (ankle) returned after missing the team's revenge win over the Celtics that featured 30 points from Bennedict Mathurin, who missed the east finals injured, and a turnaround performance from Tyrese Haliburton (17 pts, 12 ast) in what's been a slow start to his return from a season hampered by his persistent hamstring ailment. Andrew Nembhard left the win early with a knee injury and did not play on Friday. 

Lakers (4-2): Solid start showing some signs of instability between a loss to Phoenix where they collapsed ahead by 18, a 24-point loss to the Cavs and a win at a battered Toronto team that was closer than it should've been. Austin Reaves returned after suffering a lower-body injury in the first half while Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) remains out and is reportedly dealing with pain as his recovery process continues. Rui Hachimura scored single digits for the second straight game while the team is attempting 30.5 threes per game, the third-fewest in the league. LA declined its third-year option on Jalen Hood-Schifino, the team's No. 17 pick in the 2023 draft who has played sparingly since. 

Memphis (3-3): Beat the Bucks, 122-99, despite Desmond Bane (oblique) and Marcus Smart (ankle) going down earlier this week with injuries expected to sideline them for multiple games. They join Vince Williams Jr. (leg), Cam Spencer (ankle) and GG Jackson II (foot) on the sideline after also missing significant parts of last year. Rookie Jaylen Wells (16 pts) and Santi Aldama (19 pts) replaced Bane and Smart in Friday's win. Scotty Pippen Jr., who scored 16 points off the bench, called out his former Lakers head coach Darvin Ham after, who's now an assistant coach with the Bucks. 

"One of the coaches over there didn't believe in me," Pippen Jr. said. "So I definitely wanted to show I can play some defense."

Miami (2-2): Dwyane Wade defended his statue that the Heat unveiled to massive criticism for its depiction of the legend's face. He was involved in the creative process and shook off a wave of jokes that followed the ceremony, stressing that it was never meant to be an exact representation of his face

"If I wanted it to look like me, I'd just stand outside the arena and y'all can take photos," Wade said. "It don't need to look like me. It's the artistic version of a moment that happened that we're trying to cement."

Milwaukee (1-5): Giannis Antetokounmpo's 37 points and 11 rebounds weren't close to enough as Damian Lillard scored four points in 33 minutes in a new low for a Bucks team on the verge of falling apart. With Khris Middleton's (ankle) return date still uncertain, Milwaukee has suffered double-digit losses to Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston and Memphis in succession. Antetokounmpo shook off the loss to the Celtics, saying he doesn't care about the team's record as much as their direction, but reports indicated rivals are circling and hopeful that the Bucks' trend downward could lead to Antetokounmpo's exit. An executive told CBS Sports that he would prefer to land in Brooklyn or Miami if that ever happened. He is, following an offseason extension in 2023, signed through 2027, when he has a player option for 2027-28. Doc Rivers talked about Rajon Rondo joining his coaching staff. 

Minnesota (3-2): Rudy Gobert retaliated after Christian Braun celebrated a dunk over him in his face, and tensions exploded between the Wolves and Nuggets, one of the league's best-growing rivalries. Anthony Edwards shot 7-of-14 from three and sunk a game-winning floater in his 29-point effort. His three-point rate has increased immensely into this year, taking 59% of his shots behind the line entering Friday. 

New Orleans (3-3): CJ McCollum (adductor) and Herb Jones (shoulder) joined Dejounte Murray (hand) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring) on the Pelicans' loaded injury report. Jones will miss roughly 2-4 weeks while McCollum is out for 2-3 weeks. Rookie Yves Missi, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado joined the starting lineup to beat the Pacers on Friday while former Clipper Brandon Boston Jr. logged the team's bench minutes alongside former Celtics Daniel Theis and Javonte Green. New Orleans had lost three straight games while averaging 99 points per game over that stretch. 

New York (3-2): Rolled through the Pistons after another injury scare, Karl-Anthony Towns spraining his left wrist on Wednesday after unloading 44 points alongside 13 rebounds in a win over the Heat. He played on Friday anyway, scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds in 27 minutes before New York pulled far ahead of Detroit. Towns is averaging 22.2 PPG and 11.2 RPG since joining the Knicks while shooting 64.7% from three. Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) is making progress, but hasn't practiced yet since his injury in the Knicks' preseason finale. Mitchell Robinson is likely out until January. 

Orlando (3-3): After announcing his potential leap into the upper echelon of stars in the league with a 50-point performance against the Pacers on Monday, Paolo Banchero tore his oblique and is now out indefinitely. He will be evaluated in 4-6 weeks, the team said. Banchero had averaged 29.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 5.6 APG through five games. Jalen Suggs stepped up and scored 28 points in Banchero's absence on Friday, but the Cavs won 120-109. Boston faces Orlando on Dec. 23. 

Philadelphia (1-3): Joel Embiid spoke for the first time since the revelation that he wasn't ready for the start of the season drew more criticism from some over his availability and shape. He called the criticism bulls*** on Friday, calling out a reporter specifically and challenging the notion that he doesn't want to play. Embiid also listed multiple instances where he played hurt and put himself at risk. He's reportedly expected to return soon following his slow ramp-up, which has mostly been shrouded in mystery before an NBA investigation into his status revealed it was due to his lingering knee ailment. The league issued a $100,000 fine for not properly describing his health with earlier comments that indicated he was healthy for the start of the year. Embiid and Paul George practiced in full on Friday, with George only needing to clear conditioning hurdles to make his 76ers debut after a preseason knee bruise. Philadelphia hosts the Grizzlies on Saturday.  

“I’ve been engaged throughout this whole process, so I don’t feel like I’m behind on anything," George said. "I’ve been keeping up with play calling, where I should be, watching multiple spots so that when I am ready to go, I can hit the ground running.”

Toronto (1-5): A rough start got worse when Scottie Barnes went down with an orbital fracture that'll cost him at least three weeks. Kelly Olynyk (back) remains several weeks from returning, Bruce Brown (knee) is out indefinitely and Immanuel Quickley (pelvis) missed Friday's loss to the Lakers. After returning from a preseason injury, RJ Barrett took over the offense over the last two games, combining for 64 points and 20 assists. Ochai Agbaji, Davion Mitchell and Gradey Dick have become starters, the latter scoring 30 points twice this week as well. 

San Antonio (2-3): Broke out of a slow start with a win over the Jazz that featured a 5x5 game from Victor Wembanyama, with 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks. The French sensation has played below expectations overall, too, averaging 18.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.2 APG and 3.2 BPG, all below last year's marks, while shooting 41.9% from the field and 23.5% from three. Chet Holmgren beat him out in their latest meeting. 

"He’s more of a perimeter player than he is a post player," Gregg Popovich said. "We want him to be able to do everything: isolate, shoot, do the whole deal. We just can’t do it all at once. It depends on the situation and what’s going on."