Milwaukee Bucks: What can Mike Budenholzer’s assistants offer?
By Adam McGee
Charles Lee
After a stellar college career as a player with Bucknell which included him being named Patriot League Player of the Year in 2006, Charles Lee never quite managed to break into the NBA as a professional.
Lee spent time with the San Antonio Spurs in Summer League and training camp ahead of the 2006-07 season, where he first crossed paths with Budenholzer, but ultimately failed to make the final roster heading into what proved to be a championship season for the team. In spite of that, Lee went on to have a four-year career overseas with stops in Israel, Belgium and Germany.
From there, Lee interestingly put his degree in business management to good use. According to his official bio from his time as an assistant coach at Bucknell, before Lee turned to coaching he worked as an equities trader on Wall Street for Bank of America Merill Lynch.
After two years as an assistant back at Bucknell, Lee then made the jump to the NBA joining Budenholzer’s staff in 2014. More recently, Lee acted as head coach of the Hawks’ Summer League entry in 2017.
At just 33 years old, Lee stands out as something of an anomaly as one of the younger assistants in the league, if not necessarily on the Hawks’ staff. In a Bleacher Report article on the trend of teams hiring younger assistants, former Hawk Tim Hardaway Jr. laid out some of the advantages of that.
"“Last year, when I really wasn’t playing, I was just playing a lot of three-on-three, four-on-four with Charles Lee and some of our assistants. That’s how we get better. You get the run in, but also they play you certain ways that force you to improve your weaknesses and learn how to read different coverages.”"
In terms of Lee’s future, his high opinion of Budenholzer and the importance of him in his career to date certainly opens the door for the two to continue their working relationship. Speaking of Budenholzer to Vavel in 2016, Taylor said:
"“He’s a great mind, a great person, and a great leader. He has taught me so much both on the court and off the court, such as what it takes to be prepared, what to think about, what to look for during the game. He has a wonderful feel and relationship with his staff, with his players, and everybody in the organization. There is no mistake as to why he was Coach of the Year. The guy is very sharp, and I have learned a lot from him and am appreciative of the opportunity to coach on his staff.”"