Charles Lee has a simple standard for Hornets players when they’re out in Charlotte: be present, be approachable, and act like they live here.
The Hornets coach laid that out Saturday while appearing at the first Brandon Miller Celebrity Pickleball Classic: Paddle for Purpose, held at Rally Pickleball in Charlotte’s South End. Lee took part in the event, then met with reporters and explained what he wants from his players away from the arena.
“I definitely want them to be connected to our community,” Lee said. “I think number one, we all need each other to be successful; it's like what I preach a ton to the team.
And part of meeting each other is fan support in the community, and these guys got to get out there and don't walk around on your headphones and not talk to people. Get out there when you're in the grocery store and say hi, sign some autographs, do community service outreach programs, and find what you are passionate about.
“I think that's what these guys have done a great job of,” Lee continued, “and when I see the pictures and hear them talking that they're going to attend each other's events, it kind of warms your heart as a coach.”
The pickleball event was hosted by Brandon Miller through his Team Miller Foundation, with the tournament running from 1 to 5 p.m. The foundation supports food assistance, health events, screenings, and basketball camps tied to education and mentorship.
Several familiar faces took part, including Kon Knueppel, Coby White, Dell Curry, and Muggsy Bogues. Registration was set at $125 per person or $250 for two players, while spectator tickets were $75.
The event also tied into a bigger push from the Miller family. Yolanda Miller, Brandon’s mother and a breast cancer survivor, is central to the foundation’s new effort to expand access to screenings through a mobile mammogram program. She spoke about it on WCCB’s morning show the day before the tournament with Lajuana Miller, Brandon’s aunt.
On the court, Brandon Miller remains one of the Hornets’ key pieces. He was the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft out of Alabama and is heading into his fourth season.
Last year, he played 65 games and averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game, while shooting 43.5% from the field and a career-best 38.3% from 3-point range. Charlotte exercised his $15.1 million team option for 2026-27 in October 2025, and he remains eligible for a rookie-scale extension.
Lee is also in a new stage of his own with the Hornets. Hired in May 2024, he is entering his third season after Charlotte went 19-63 in his first year and 44-38 last season. That second year included a win over the Miami Heat in the first play-in game before a loss to the Orlando Magic in the next round.
Charlotte’s roster around Miller has changed a lot since the end of last season. In June, the Hornets traded LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid and future picks, then sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. The team also added Dorian Finney-Smith from Houston and Dennis Schröder from Cleveland, and it drafted Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr. with the 14th and 18th picks.
The preseason opens Oct. 6 against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center, and the regular season begins Oct. 21 at Barclays Center.
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For a young Charlotte core still trying to define itself, Diabates rise is a useful reminder of how much value there is in players who keep building while waiting for their chance. Veteran Taj Gibson played a part in that growth by pushing him through the lean stretches, and Diabates emergence gives the Hornets another encouraging example of development paying off, even if the bigger question around how far this group can go is still in front of them. [Read more 🡒]