The Night Coach Lee Crashed Our Summer League Champions Party

Let's be honest. When the Hornets won the 2025 Summer League in Las Vegas, half of Charlotte made memes and the other half made plans. We did both.

It was the first Summer League title in franchise history. A perfect run through Vegas, capped by a win over Sacramento on July 20 with Kon Knueppel taking home Championship MVP. Is a Summer League banner the same as a ring? Of course not. Did we care? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

This fanbase has waited a long, long time for something to celebrate. So we threw a party.

Champions Party at The Local

On Friday, July 25, we took over our usual pregame home, The Local on East 5th Street, for a full-blown Champions Party. Free beer. A champagne toast. Confetti cannons. The title game replayed on the big screen like it was Game 7 of the Finals.

And y'all showed UP. More than 300 Hornets fans rolled through over the course of the night. It's easily one of the most fun nights we've ever put together, and we've been throwing Hornets parties since the Bring Back the Buzz days.

We knew Hugo was stopping by. What we didn't know was who else was coming.

Coach Lee mixing it up with fans at The Local.

Then Coach Lee walked in

Midway through the night, Hornets head coach Charles Lee walked through the door at The Local. No warning, no entourage, no security. Just Coach Lee, ready to hang with the fans.

Turns out his family had seen our posts on social and insisted they come check it out. (Whoever made that call: thank you. We owe you a champagne toast.)

Coach stuck around for about an hour. He took pictures with anyone who asked, signed shirts and hats, and talked hoops with fans like he'd been coming to The Local for years. He couldn't have been nicer.

Think about that for a second. An NBA head coach showing up to a party thrown by fans, for fans, and just mingling with the crowd. That doesn't happen everywhere. It happened in Charlotte.

Crown Club co-founders Scotty (left) and Evan Kent with Coach Lee.

Why it mattered

We hear it all the time around town: "Charlotte doesn't have Hornets fans." Nights like this prove otherwise. People who don't follow the team got a front-row look at how passionate this fanbase really is.

We're not delusional. We know what a Summer League title is and what it isn't. But this fanbase has been through a lot: losing a team, the worst season in league history, more lottery heartbreak than anyone deserves. Sticking around through all of that takes a special kind of loyalty.

If a Summer League trophy brought out 300 people on a Friday night in July, imagine what a playoff series run would do to this city. We can't wait to find out. And when that day comes, nobody gets to call us bandwagon fans.

In the news

Queen City Nerve covered the celebration and Coach Lee's surprise visit. Read their story here.

Rep the run

Still riding the high? Our Summer League Champs tee is in the shop. Grab yours here.

And if you want to be in the room for the next one, join us at a TEALgate. We're at The Local 90 minutes before EVERY home game, and every fan is welcome. Crown Club members eat FREE. See the TEALgate schedule.

Back the Buzz. 🐝