Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee attended the Carolina Panthers' recent win versus the Dallas Cowboys and couldn't help but gush about the "energy" the hometown supporters brought for the Charlotte-based NFL franchise. He also added that it is "hope" to experience a similar atmosphere "once the basketball season starts."
The thing is, supporting sports teams comes naturally for the people of Charlotte. There would be no need to challenge them to go to the Spectrum Center as long as the Hornets are winning. Obviously, that isn't the case. And Lee is at the forefront of it.
Last season, the club averaged 17,169 attendees per game. While that puts the team in the bottom one-third in league rankings, the final number is actually impressive for the fact that many folks have remained steadfast in their support for the Hornets despite the lack of success in the standings.
Still, registering more wins than they typically do can only foster a more electric atmosphere during home contests.
Take a look at the Panthers, for example. The excitement has become even more palpable among their fans after they secured a second straight victory to lift their record to 3-3. Interestingly, Carolina's win against the Cowboys came around the same time the Hornets triumphed over the Dallas Mavericks in preseason, giving Charlotte sports fans more grounds to celebrate.
Lee can give the Hornets faithful a compelling reason to bring more energy to the Spectrum Center by steering the team to more wins. In fact, even if the dubs aren't coming yet, transforming the squad into a more competitive bunch should excite its fans a lot more.
A make-or-break season for Charles Lee?
The good news for the second-year head coach is that the front office has gifted him with a deeper roster than what he had to work with last season. There are still plenty of flaws, particularly in the frontcourt, playmaking, and defensive departments. However, there's probably no reason for the Hornets to finish worse than their 19-63 record in the 2024-25 campaign.
What if that's what ends up happening, though? In that event, Lee might end up incurring the ire of the fans he wishes to see lighting the arena with elevated energy. Some of them might even call for his firing, especially since there is already a bit of dissatisfaction with the 40-year-old coach over his apparently shallow offensive playbook.
Whatever his limitations may be at the moment, Lee deserves a longer leash because he still has plenty of room to grow, and his experience as a longtime assistant coach should help him develop into a better tactician.