Charles Lee reveals why this era in Charlotte will be different

On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets hosted an event to officially welcome Charles Lee as the next head coach of the franchise. Lee was joined by local guests including media and plenty of his players, including Brandon Miller, Grant Williams, and even franchise legend Kemba Walker.

Every Hornets fan is painfully aware of the fact that Charlotte has not reached the playoffs in eight seasons, and they are in desperate need of a resurgence. Getting fresh faces in management has been a big step toward making that happen, and Lee's introduction felt refreshing in a number of ways.

When he took the podium, Lee described his experience leaving Wall Street for coaching over a decade ago — and how he joined the coaching staffs of Mike Budenholzer and Joe Mazzulla en route to two NBA championships as an assistant coach. And when asked about how he planned to carry that success over to Charlotte, Lee repeatedly spoke of togetherness.

One big example he gave of how the team has already come together to rally around him was their support of him during this year's playoffs. Lee stated that multiple Hornets players texted him with encouraging words during the Celtics' run to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Charles Lee explained the bond he and his team already have

He described how much their support meant to him, and he stressed the importance of carrying those ideas of communication and transparency into their everyday routine from this point on as well. In all these things, the thing that stood out above them all was how visibly proud and joyful Coach Lee was to be embarking on this journey.

"I get to be the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets,” he said. “Just even saying that gives me chills a little bit." For fans of this team, those words were music to the ears. Having someone who truly cares and has a passion for being in this position is all many could ever ask for.

One day into the Charles Lee experience in Charlotte, things could not be going much better. It was clear that Lee gave all the correct answers in his first public appearance as the organization's new coach, giving the fanbase plenty to be excited about moving forward.

The Hornets' new leader will not have much time to rest, with the draft beginning in just a few short hours and free agency starting before the end of the month. But if those upcoming events go anything like Lee's opening press conference, it is safe to say the city of Charlotte will be elated.