Tag: Charles Lee

Report: Celtics assistant Charles Lee ‘front-runner’ to be Charlotte Hornets next head coach

It is looking more likely each day that the Celtics may have a Charles Lee-sized hole on their bench to fill this 2024 NBA offseason.

It is looking more likely each day that the Boston Celtics may have a Charles Lee-sized hole on their bench to fill this 2024 NBA offseason. The Celtics assistant is one of the hottest names out there in the Charlotte Hornets’ current search to replace current Hornets head coach Steve Clifford.

Clifford plans to transition to a front office role after this season, and Lee has been named as a top candidate by several outlets, most recently by the Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. Per the reporter, Lee, Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Dallas Nuggets assistant Sean Sweeney and Brooklyn Nets assistant Will Weaver are all “early names to keep an eye on.”

“Two high-ranking officials on separate teams — one from each conference — believe Lee is a lead candidate and front-runner to be Clifford’s successor,” Boone notes, intriguingly.

The report makes sense, given the Celtics assistant was a hot name in coaching searches even before he left the Milwaukee Bucks to join Boston ahead of the start of the 2023-24 season.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

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Report: Celtics assistant Charles Lee targeted in Charlotte Hornets coaching search

The news comes on the heels of word that veteran Hornets head coach Steve Clifford plans to step down from that role.

The Boston Celtics might need to be on the hunt for new talent to add to their coaching bench this coming 2024 NBA offseason, pending the coaching searches of other ball clubs. According to new reporting from ESPN senior reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, Celtics assistant coach Charles Lee has been named as one of several such assistants coaches in the mix to land the top coaching gig for the Charlotte Hornets.

The news comes on the heels of word that veteran Hornets head coach Steve Clifford plans to step down from that role into a front office capacity after the end of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Along with Lee, Woj reports that Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn, Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young and others are in the mix for the job.

At the very least, it is also expected that the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets will also be on the market for a new head coach, making it likely that several teams around the league lose assistant coaches from their ranks.

And with both Lee and Sam Cassell popular names in such searches, one of them very well could be Boston.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How much credit should the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff get for the team’s hot start?

What is the role of the Celtics’ coaching staff in the ball club’s strong early-season performance?

How much credit should the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff get for the team’s hot start? Following the Celtics’ close 120-118 victory against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Friday night, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast analyzed the significant role of the Celtics’ coaching staff in the ball club’s strong early-season performance to date.

Credit is certainly due in part to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and his two new assistants in Sam Cassell and Charles Lee, but also veteran Boston assistant coach Tony Dobbins. Their combined efforts in crafting effective strategies for the team and building a resilient culture was particularly evident in the Raptors win, pulled off despite the absence of stars Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis.

Check it out the clip embedded below to hear what the Garden Report crew had to say about the role of coaching in the Celtics’ recent success.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics center alum Mike Muscala on what makes Charles Lee such a good assistant coach

“I could just tell early on he had a great energy for it,” said Muscala of Lee’s coaching acumen.

Earlier this week, CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning sat down with former Boston Celtics center Mike Muscala to talk to him about his time playing for new Celtics assistant Charles Lee.

Muscala had the unique experience of playing for Lee at their alma mater, Bucknell, and then again when both made the simultaneous leap to the NBA to the same club. Lee was hired by the franchise that drafted Muscala, the Atlanta Hawks.

“He was new to coaching at that point,” explained Muscala of their first stint together at Bucknell. “I could just tell early on he had a great energy for it.”

“We all respected him and valued what he said, (and) his opinions just because he had been there before, and he had been a part of good teams, been the leader of those teams.”

“So, for him having that experience, along with his upbeat, personal attitude, I think we could all tell early on that he was going to be a great coach,” added Muscala.

“He’s consistent with it, he brings a good volume to the room. He’s just assertive and confident; he brings the energy that is important throughout the course of the season … a lot of it just comes down to who has more of that positivity, more of that juice.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Former Boston big man Mike Muscala on new Celtics assistant Charles Lee

Even though he did not stick with the Boston Celtics, veteran big man Mike Muscala still has a unique perspective on the organization he had a cup of coffee with towards the end of the 2022-23 NBA season

Even though he did not stick with the Boston Celtics, veteran big man Mike Muscala still has a unique perspective on the organization.

He had a cup of coffee with the franchise after being dealt from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the 2023 trade deadline. But that short stint in Boston is not Muscala’s only connection to the Celtics. He and Boston assistant coach Charles Lee are Bucknell alumni. Lee coached Muscala as an assistant at Bucknell and again on the Atlanta Hawks as Lee made the leap to the NBA as an assistant on the same team that drafted Muscala.

CLNS Media reporter Bobby Manning linked up with Muscala — now with the Washington Wizards — for a short interview on the “Garden Report” podcast to talk about his ties to Lee and time in Boston.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the two had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics Las Vegas Summer League coach Tony Dobbins on how Charles Lee and Sam Cassell help

Dobbins talked about how he has gotten to know fellow assistant coaches Charles Lee and Sam Cassell.

Boston Celtics summer league head coach Tony Dobbins talked about how he has gotten to know fellow assistant coaches Charles Lee and Sam Cassell since head coach Joe Mazzulla and Boston President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens hired the duo to help replace outgoing coaches like Ben Sullivan.

Speaking to the media at the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, Dobbins, excited about the addition of Lee and Cassell, compared the coaching turnover to roster churn for players but thinks both new assistant coaches are bringing long careers in that role as well as a bit of championship experience that will help him and Boston get closer to hanging Banner 18.

To hear more of his talk with the press about the state of the Celtics coaching bench, check out the clip embedded below put together by the folks at the CLNS Media Boston Sports Network YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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What can the Boston Celtics expect from Charles Lee and Sam Cassell?

The Boston Celtics have made significant additions to their coaching staff.

The Boston Celtics have made significant additions to their coaching staff by hiring experienced coaches Sam Cassell and Charles Lee for assistant roles under head coach Joe Mazzulla to address the need for more expertise and experience within the team’s coaching ranks.

Cassell, a former three-time NBA champion player (including one title with Boston), and longtime assistant coach, brings a wealth of knowledge and a winning mentality to the Celtics. Lee, a highly regarded head coaching candidate, has also joined the staff. While there may be speculation about Cassell and Lee potentially becoming head coaches in the future, their focus will be on supporting Mazzulla.

The Celtics’ coaching additions have been received positively and expected to have an impact on the Celtics’ coaching next season.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast recently linked up with Spotrac’s Keith Smith to talk over the coaching hires and Boston’s offseason more generally.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what they expect from these new hires and more.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How much of an upgrade have the Boston Celtics made to their bench?

How important have the additions of Cassell and Lee as assistants been to Boston’s designs on contention next season?

The Boston Celtics added Sam Cassell and Charles Lee, two experienced assistant coaches, to their staff under head coach Joe Mazzulla for the 2023-24 NBA season. Cassell was part of the Celtics’ 2008 title team and has worked under Doc Rivers for most of his coaching career on the staff of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Lee has been considered for head coaching jobs (most recently with the Detroit Pistons) and brings valuable experience from his time under coach Mike Budenholzer with the Milwaukee Bucks. The additions of Cassell and Lee address the need for a veteran presence on the coaching staff and hints the Celtics are listening to their players who have advocated for more diversity on the bench.

To hear more details about Boston’s recent bench hires, check out the clip embedded below put together by the hosts of the “Green with Envy” podcast.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On the Boston Celtics hiring Charles Lee as Joe Mazzulla’s lead assistant coach

How are we feeling about the Celtics’ revamped bench of assistants under Mazzulla?

The Boston Celtics have hired Charles Lee, the former Milwaukee Bucks associate head coach, as Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s lead assistant. The move comes on the heels of former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach (and Boston champion guard) Sam Cassell joining Mazzulla’s bench for the Celtics’ next run at a title.

The Boston hire comes after the Toronto Raptors hired former Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Darko Rajakovic as their head coach, closing the door on the league’s last open head coaching vacancy for the season to come. How are we feeling about the Celtics’ revamped bench of assistants under Mazzulla?

CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning reports on a coach many around the wider Boston media sphere have clamored to join the Celtics organization in such a capacity — and one who nearly became the Detroit Pistons’ head coach earlier this summer.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Woj: Celtics ‘finalizing a deal’ to hire Bucks’ Charles Lee as lead assistant coach

The news comes not long after word that Sam Cassell will also be joining Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff for next season.

Another piece in the puzzle that is the Boston Celtics’ 2023-24 bench of assistant coaches appears to be clicking into place, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Charles Lee is “finalizing a deal to join the … Celtics as the lead assistant coach”.

“Lee had been the associate head coach with Milwaukee and a finalist for the Toronto (Raptors) and Detroit (Pistons) head (coaching) job,” added Woj. The news comes not long after word that longtime Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers assistant (and former Celtics champion point guard) Sam Cassell will also be joining Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla’s staff for next season.

A lack of depth plagued Mazzulla’s bench last season after losing Ime Udoka to his suspension and eventual ouster as head coach, but also assistant Will Hardy to the Utah Jazz and Damon Stoudamire late in the 2022-23 regular season to Georgia Tech for their respective top coaching gigs.

The level of urgency has since picked up with word that much of what remained of Mazzulla’s coaching staff was likely to join Udoka in Houston after the former Boston head coach got the top job with that organization.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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