Hornets fall short, but Lee urges growth to fuel the next step

The Charlotte Hornets closed the 2025‑26 season transformed, jumping from nineteen to forty‑four wins and posting the league’s best net rating from January onward. Yet their heavy loss in Orlando extended a decade‑long playoff drought, the longest active streak in the NBA. Head coach Charles Lee acknowledged how close the group came to breaking through but insisted that the frustration must drive their offseason.

He urged players to carry that feeling into the weight room and onto the practice court, stressing the need to push for the extra margin that separates postseason teams. Lee praised the roster’s resilience, competitiveness and growing cohesion, noting that Charlotte earned the right to compete for a playoff berth even if Game 1 was far from their best. He framed the campaign as a foundational step in building the franchise’s new identity, reminding his players not to lose the respect they gained and to treat this season as a beginning, not a destination.