rich cho

February 20, 2018 – The Charlotte Hornets announced today that the team will not extend the contract of General Manager Rich Cho. The Hornets will begin a search for a new general manager immediately.

“I want to thank Rich for all of his hard work with the Charlotte Hornets organization through the years and wish him and his family the best in the future,” said Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan. “Rich worked tirelessly on behalf of our team and instituted a number of management tools that have benefited our organization. We are deeply committed to our fans and to the city of Charlotte to provide a consistent winner on the court. The search will now begin for our next head of basketball operations who will help us achieve that goal.”

Cho was originally hired as the team’s General Manager on June 14, 2011. He assumed the day-to-day responsibilities of the basketball operations department on June 13, 2014. Prior to working with Charlotte, Cho worked in the front offices of Portland and Oklahoma City/Seattle.

“It’s been a privilege to serve as the Charlotte Hornets’ General Manager for the past seven years,” said Cho. “I want to thank Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk, and the entire organization for giving me that opportunity, and for their support since that moment. I also want to thank the basketball and business operations staffs, Head Coach Steve Clifford and his staff, and our players for their commitment to excellence and success. Charlotte is a special city with deeply loyal fans and I will always be grateful for my experience with the franchise.”

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Hornets to Not Extend Contract of GM Rich Cho

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Rich Cho One-on-One - 10/16/17

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Cho and Clifford Post-Trade Availability - 6/21/17

Rich Cho End-of-Season Press Conference - 5/4/16 - Part 1 of 3

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Rich Cho End-of-Season Press Conference - 5/4/16 - Part 2 of 3

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Rich Cho One-on-One - 4/15/16

Press Release | Lee Photo Gallery | Lee Highlights

Charlotte Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced on Feb. 16, 2016 that the team has acquired guard Courtney Lee and cash considerations from the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade. The following is the transcript from Cho’s conference call with the media after the trade.

“Good evening.  We are really excited to add Courtney Lee to our roster.  He brings a lot of experience.  He’s a vet that is a true pro.  He brings shooting, he plays defense and he’s a guy that we are really excited about.  Also I want to thank Brian Roberts and PJ Hairston for all their hard work on and off the court.”

On Courtney Lee’s defense and his fit in Hornets system:

“Cliff [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford] has coached Courtney [Lee] before in Orlando, so he’s very familiar with him.  He’s one of the guy’s in the league that can be called a 3 and D guy.  He can shoot three-pointers and play good defense.  There’s not a ton of those guys around so we are really excited to have him.  He’s a guy that plays both ends of the floor which we are always looking for.”

On whether Courtney Lee will be in the starting lineup:

“That’s a question for Cliff [Head Coach Steve Clifford].  I do think he will get a lot of minutes and, like I said, I think he’ll help us on both ends of the floor.”

On whether the trade was predicated on Michael Kidd-Gilchrist’s season-ending surgery:

“That was definitely a factor, losing MKG [Michael Kidd-Gilchrist]. It’s a big loss for us, but when we scanned all the rosters throughout the league, we were looking for three and D [defense] guys and feel like Courtney will be a big help to us.”

“I think we will look to fill that spot, possibly look for a third point guard. We’ll probably be looking in the D-League [to fill that spot].”

“I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily done. Anything can happen up until the deadline, but we are happy with this move and we’re always keeping our eyes and ears open.” 

“I think he’ll add a lot to our locker room. He’s involved, in the background work that we’ve done on him over the years, has been very positive.  I also know he’s also got a high basketball IQ. He’s a good person and, like I said, Cliff [Head Coach Steve Clifford] has had him in the past and he really liked him as well.”

On him being surprised a player of Courtney Lee’s experience and skill set being available at the trade deadline:

“Yea a little bit, I think when we looked at all the rosters and at guys that might be available, he was on the list as a maybe but you never know until something happens, we were excited that he was available and we’re happy to get the deal done.”

On the rumor of a Dwight Howard trade to the Hornets:

“My policy is not to comment on trade rumors so I would like to just leave it at that.”