October 16, 2021 – Charlotte Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today that the team has named Daniel Taylor Director of Applied Sports Science, Jameel Battle Director of Rehabilitation and Nina Hsieh Assistant Athletic Trainer. All three individuals join the Hornets Medical Staff under the team’s Medical Director Joe Sharpe.
Taylor joins the organization after spending the last five seasons working as the Director of Performance for Men’s Basketball at Georgia Institute of Technology, where the Yellow Jackets won the ACC Championship in 2021. Prior to his time in Georgia, Taylor was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Siena College for nine seasons, which included back-to-back-to-back MAAC Championships (2008, 2009 & 2010). Taylor, a native of England, holds degrees from Franklin Pierce College (Bachelor of Arts), California University of Pennsylvania (Master of Science in Exercise Science and Performance Enhancement) and Edith Cowan University based in Perth, Western Australia (Master of Science in Exercise Science).
Battle joins Charlotte after spending last year as the Athletic Training Fellow for the Seattle Mariners. Prior to his time in Seattle, Battle spent two years in private practice focused on transforming physical rehabilitation and athletic performance by synthesizing Eastern and Western medical modalities. Before that, he was Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer for Clark Atlanta University. Battle also did a Sports Medicine Residency with the Arizona Diamondbacks, working with their Major League and Minor League rosters. Battle is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and holds degrees from Western Kentucky University (Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health and Safety), Yo San University (Master’s Degree of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Life University (Master of Athletic Training) and University of Vermont (Doctorate of Physical Therapy).
Hsieh joins the Hornets as the Assistant Athletic Trainer after serving as the Head Athletic Trainer with the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons (2019-21) and the team’s Assistant Athletic Trainer for three seasons (2016-19). Hsieh was the team’s Head Athletic Trainer for the Lakers 2020 NBA Championship. Before working for the Los Angeles Lakers, she spent seven seasons with the franchise’s G League Affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, overseeing all health, wellness, strength and conditioning, equipment operations and travel needs for the team. Prior to joining the Lakers organization, Hsieh served as the Athletic Trainer for the UC-Santa Barbara women’s basketball team (2004-08), as well as the men’s soccer team (2010-11). She is a native of Taiwan and holds degrees from Cal State-Fullerton (Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science) and AT Still University (Master of Science in Sports Healthcare).
Memberships to the newly rebranded Hive Society and Pick 23 Plans for the 2021-22 season are on sale now. Hive Society Memberships, which include all 43 regular-season and preseason games, start at $48 per game on average in the lower level and as low as $12 per game on average in the upper level, and include some of the best benefits in all of professional sports. Pick 23 Plans include Opening Night and 22 additional games of the purchaser’s choice, along with playoff priority and interest-free payment plans. Hornets fans can get lower-level tickets with this plan starting at $64 per game on average and upper-level tickets starting at $14 per game on average. For more information, call 704.HORNETS or visit hornets.com/tickets.