Hornets reporter Rod Boone delivers content you can't get anywhere else, from deep-dive analysis of the young core to the latest locker room buzz. A Charlotte Observer subscription gives you the best access to breaking news and exclusive player interviews. By DIAMOND VENCES
If anyone can appreciate what the Charlotte Hornets are doing, it’s certainly the longest-tenured member of the team.
Enter Miles Bridges.
“It feels great,” Bridges told the Charlotte Observer. “It feels like we’re actually involved in everything — in the NBA, in the playoffs. Usually we’re just a team that people just write off right away. So we’re just used to that, living up to their standards. Now we’re living up to ours.
“It feels great.”
Bridges joined the Hornets in 2018, a full two years after the organization’s last appearance in the NBA playoffs. They hold the record for the league’s longest current postseason drought, which could finally be snapped in a few weeks should they advance past the play-in tournament rounds — something that’s been a problem in the two previous chances to do just that.
But the Hornets are in the midst of an apparent culture change. They’re one more road win shy of finishing with a .500 record or better away from for home for only the second time since pro basketball returned to Charlotte in 2004, and first occasion since 2021-22 in the final season under then-coach James Borrego.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, left and forward Miles Bridges sit on the bench during action against the New York Knicks at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Nov. 26, 2025. The Knicks defeated the Hornets 129-101. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
The slow turnaround during the season-plus of coach Charles Lee is impressive.
“Our coaching staff and our training staff does a great job of holding us accountable,” Bridges said. “But we’ve got to be comfortable ourselves. And I feel like once we started experiencing winning, that’s when we flipped our mindset and said, ‘Look, if we do the little (stuff), we’ll be successful.’ And that’s what we’ve been doing.”
That has the Hornets among the hottest teams in the NBA. They’re garnering much more national attention — as evidenced by NBC moving the tipoff time of this past Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns back so it could air on Peacock — and soaking up every bit of it.
That’s how things are when on pace for a winning record for just the third time in a decade-plus.
“It’s being coachable and just everybody buying in on defense,” Bridges said. “I feel like everybody buying in on defense really changed things for us. Everybody being healthy, it’s not talked about enough. Just us being healthy. I’ve been preaching that for years, and it’s finally here. So it feels good.”
The Charlotte Observer spoke to Bridges about a number of things, including how Lee is reaching star guard LaMelo Ball in ways that weren’t as easy in the past, how Coby White’s addition is helping and more.
Roderick Boone: How is good health going to benefit you guys and help be the team you want to be?
Miles Bridges: You should know we’ve not been blowing smoke up our (bottom) for years. We’re going to be good when we’re healthy. And just having the confidence in ourselves. I give credit to our training staff, for sure, for keeping us accountable. Lifts, extra ice tub, all that type of (stuff). But we’re just, like I was saying, locked in on a whole ‘nother level.
Hornets players LaMelo Ball, center, and Miles Bridges celebrate an assisted dunk during the game against the Wizards at Spectrum Center in Charlotte on Dec. 23, 2025. The Hornets defeated the Wizards 126-109. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
RB: Charles Lee has been around for almost two years. What has he done specifically — and it’s nothing against Steve Clifford or James Borrego — that’s working now and why is it working?
MB: J.B. and Cliff, they’re great coaches. I feel like C. Lee, he’s more into it with the team dinners and getting to know you better. He’s a player coach, so he trusts us. If you noticed (the Feb. 28) game when Melo called for the review, he didn’t even question it. He went with it right away. So that’s what type of coach C. Lee is. And when he has that trust in us, that gives us the confidence to go out there and play our hardest. And he holds us accountable. Some people would be soft on Melo or Brandon (Miller) or Kon (Knueppel), but not Coach. He’s on their (butt) more than everybody, on our (butt) more than everybody.
RB: Some people on the outside don’t think LaMelo wants to be coached. Can you explain what it’s like to be on the inside and see LaMelo doing things now that maybe at first wasn’t sure it was going to work?
MB: Some people are scared to approach Melo. Cliff would always yell at anybody. J.B., he’d be a little bit soft on Melo just because he doesn’t want him to shut down. And C. Lee, he’s a whole different way. He experienced it last year when he benched him, and Melo completely shut down. And that just shows his growth. If Melo’s benched with like five minutes left, and he’s about to get in with four minutes left, he’s not sitting over there pouting or getting mad. He’s ready to come in the game and finish the game for us. So, C. Lee just gets a lot out of Melo that certain coaches wouldn’t.
RB: As someone who’s as close to LaMelo as anyone on the team, what can you say about his maturation process?
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, left, and guard LaMelo Ball sit on the team’s bench late in game action against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan. 21, 2026. The Cavaliers defeated the Hornets 94-87. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
MB: I think it’s just understanding that we need him to do certain stuff to win. And he’s at a point in his career where he just wants to win and not get nothing individual. I’m not saying in the past he wasn’t. He always wanted to win, but he knows what it takes to win now. So, now he’s applying himself to do that. Even like him just talking to us in the locker room, talking to us in the timeout. He’s doing that little (stuff). It’s just a whole different focus.
RB: How is Coby White coming in going to help you long term? He’s your backup point guard.
MB: Like you said, for him to be a backup, he’s playing against other bench units and he’s a starter in this league. So he can score with the best of them. He communicates like a leader. He’s been here, he’s been in the playoffs, been in the play-in. So, he has experience. Everybody wants to listen to Coby. He has a great voice in the locker room. He’s going to be great for us down the stretch.