Celtics' Mazzulla Jokes New Hornets HC Lee Needs to Get Used to Everybody Hating Him

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had some words of advice for his former assistant and new Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee.

Mazzulla joked that Lee needs to "get used to" everybody hating the head coach.

"Everybody hates you," Mazzulla said. "Get used to it. You're no longer the nice, shiny toy"

While Mazzulla joked that Lee will have to adjust to the added pressure of being a head coach, he also praised him and said he's confident Lee will thrive with the Hornets.

"Happy for him, great coach, long overdue," Mazzulla said. "He's going to do a great job."

Lee has coached under Mazzulla in Boston for the last two seasons and will finish the Celtics' playoff run before taking over head coaching duties in Charlotte. Before his time in Boston, he served as an assistant for various teams around the league, working for the Atlanta Hawks from 2014 to 2016 before joining the Milwaukee Bucks from 2018 to 2023.

Lee helped lead the Bucks to a championship in 2021 and is looking to help Boston do the same this year. The Celtics are currently battling the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the NBA playoffs with Game 2 tipping off at 7 p.m. ET Thursday night. Boston has a 1-0 lead after winning the first game of the series.

Lee, who agreed to a four-year contract with the Hornets, is taking over for a franchise that has struggled for much of the 21st century. Charlotte has appeared in just six playoffs since 2000 with the latest coming during the 2015-16 season.

There is hope for the Hornets with promising young players like LaMelo Ball and rookie Brandon Miller, but Charlotte still has a long way to go to turn its franchise around. After parting ways with Steve Clifford, the Hornets are hoping Lee can be the coach to finally make a change.