James Borrego Wants to Be an Inspiration as NBA's 1st Hispanic Head Coach

When the Charlotte Hornets hired James Borrego back in May, he became the first Hispanic full-time head coach in NBA history.

Not only does he hope to win basketball games and bring a championship to Charlotte, but he hopes that he can serve as an inspiration as well.

"I'm proud to be part of an NBA family that values diversity and values people who come from all walks of life," Borrego wrote in an essay for Sports Illustrated. "I'm happy to be one of them. I'm proud of where I come from, who I am, and how I was raised in Albuquerque—in a predominantly Hispanic culture. I'm thankful to be the league's first Hispanic coach, and I want to be an inspiration for young men and women, to show you can be anything you want to be. It doesn't matter where you're from, how you were brought up, the color of your skin. That's the lens I look at this through."

Borrego has spent the better part of two decades working his way up the coaching ladder. He started his career as an assistant at the University of San Diego and has been on a number of NBA coaching staffs as an assistant, including the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic. Although he was given the interim head coach tag with the Magic in 2015, he went back to the Spurs as an assistant for the 2015-16 season and remained there until Hornets gave him his first official head coaching job in May.

Missing out on previous gigs may have been disappointing, Borrego acknowledged, but he used those missed chances as motivation. Now, all of his hard work has landed him a golden opportunity, both on and off the court.

While letting it be known he doesn't think about himself as the "the league's first Hispanic coach," Borrego made it clear he is proud of both his upbringing and what he has accomplished to this point. With the way the sport has grown around the world, the 40-year-old looks at his current role as a chance to help make an impact on the world.

"Our game has become such a global game, Borrego wrote. "There's nothing like sports to unite people. Nations look to the NBA as an example. We're a league with a voice, leading the charge on inclusion and diversity. I'm an example of the NBA opening up to more people. I'm proud to be a part of that."

Borrego was hired by Charlotte on a four-year deal, with the Hornets holding a team option for the fourth year, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ESPN.com). He previously went 10-20 in 30 games as Orlando's interim head coach during the 2014-15 campaign.