The Charlotte Hornets announced on Thursday that they have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with head coach Charles Lee. The terms of the contract were not made public per team policy.

Originally signing a four-year contract with the Hornets in 2024, Lee is now under contract with the team through at least the 2029-30 season.

In just his second season as head coach of the Hornets, Lee took his team to new heights, posting a 44-38 record. As a result, the Hornets made the play-in tournament as the Eastern Conference’s 9-seed and won a game to have a chance to play for the 8-seed.

Unfortunately, Charlotte fell short of the playoffs, but the team’s 25-win improvement from their 19-63 record during Lee’s first season with the franchise is the largest year-over-year win-total improvement in team history.

After initially starting the year with a 16-28 record, Lee corrected the Hornets’ mistakes and had his young team playing at one of the highest levels in the NBA. During the second half of the season, the Hornets went 28-10, ranking first in net rating (+10.5) since Jan. 1, ranking atop the league in offensive rating (120.7) and fifth in defensive rating (110.2).

Charlotte also led the league in rebounding percentage (54.8%), second chance points (19.0), and 3-pointers made per game (17.3) in that stretch, culminating in the team’s first postseason victory since 2016.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this team and building on what we’ve started here in Charlotte,” Lee said in the team’s press release. “I want to thank Rick, Gabe and Jeff for their support as well as my coaching staff and the players for their tireless work and dedication. I’m excited about the direction we’re headed and our team’s bright future. Our players have shown a real commitment to growth, and I’m proud of the culture we’re establishing together.

“We’re just getting started, and I’m looking forward to the work ahead.”

In just two seasons, Lee has left his fingerprints all over the Hornets’ rise in the East. Aside from LaMelo Ball having one of his most productive seasons when it comes to contributing to winning and Brandon Miller continuing to emerge as a potential star on the wing, Lee was one of the main factors in Kon Knueppel‘s impressive rookie season.

Knueppel not only became the first rookie to ever lead the league in 3-pointers made, but he was the missing piece that Lee integrated immediately to push the Hornets into their next stage of development.

This season, Lee earned his first Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award after the Hornets went 11-6 in January and tied the NBA record for the highest point differential on the road in a single month at +151 overall. During this stretch, the Hornets ended the month on a six-game winning streak that later extended to a nine-game winning streak, tied for the second-longest in franchise history and the longest since the 1998-99 season.

Charlotte also set a franchise record this season with 10-straight road wins, and tied an NBA single-season record with eight road wins by 25-plus points.

Lee has done a remarkable job leading the Hornets to this point, and the future of this young team looks bright with their 41-year-old head coach pulling the strings.

The Charlotte Hornets announced on Thursday that they have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with head coach Charles Lee. The terms of the contract were not made public per team policy. Originally signing a four-year contract with the Hornets in 2024, Lee is now under contract with the team through at least the 2029-30 season.