Hornets head coach Charles Lee is in Rwanda as a part of the NBA’s yearly Basketball Without Borders program, and he’s hoping that his time there can pay unexpected dividends to his up-and-coming team, writes Roderick Boone for the Charlotte Observer.
Lee is working with a group that includes Marvin Williams, who spent five and a half seasons with the Hornets. That growing relationship has borne unexpected fruit, according to Lee.
“He’s been my assistant coach and he’s drawn up some beautiful [after-time-out] plays. He brings a knowledge to the game that probably supersedes mine at that time, and so I’m learning from him.”
While Williams has been a helpful presence, he’s far from the only person to provide that educational experience for Lee.
“There’s a lot of growth ideas that come from a trip like this,” Lee said. “Number one, you get to watch other coaches coach their teams here at BWB and watch their practices and learn some of their terminology and the different ways that they teach things… In between camp sessions, you get to spend time with other head coaches, assistant coaches… The conversations never stop, the learning never stops. So, there’s a ton of growth opportunities and ideas that I can kind of take from this experience.”
While Lee is continuing to grow as a coach, he’s also making sure to keep tabs on the Hornets at home, both through his coaching staff and through personal check-ins. Despite being away from the group, he’s excited about the progress the team has made this summer.
“I just love the offseason that we’ve had,” he said. “I think the focus that everyone’s had, the commitment to trying to get better, increasing their intensity of their workouts, and I’m looking forward to getting back after it… Charlotte Hornets basketball is always on my mind. Everything I do is for that organization, that program while those players just continue to get better.”
Lee added that he’s particularly excited about the team retaining restricted free agent Tre Mann.
“Tre has this great quality about himself where he can build the relationships, gain the trust and earn the trust of his teammates,” he said. “So, I’m looking forward to having him back out there on the court and off the court as well, to help kind of keep just bringing this thing together and building.”