Fresh off retirement, Kemba Walker set to join Charlotte Hornets coaching staff

Call him Coach Kemba now.

A day after Kemba Walker officially ended his playing career, announcing his retirement following a decade-plus of special memories, the former Charlotte Hornets star has a new occupation. And he’ll be working for an employer he’s pretty familiar with.

Walker has been added to Charles Lee’s coaching staff as a player enhancement coach, the team announced Wednesday. It’s a full circle moment for Walker, who’s still maintained his home in Charlotte after being traded to Boston in 2019.

The 34-year-old fits right in with the Hornets’ youthful staff movement: He’s only a year younger than vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, and five fewer than Lee.

Walker joins a staff that includes lead assistant Lamar Skeeter, Chris Jent, Josh Longstaff, Ryan Frazier, Zach Peterson, Matt Hill, Blaine Mueller and Jermaine Bucknor.

Skeeter will be Lee’s right-hand man, serving as the Hornets’ top assistant. He has plenty of knowledge after spending the last decade with Utah, beginning his slow rise up to this point.

Jent was a part of Darvin Ham’s staff with the Los Angeles Lakers for the past two seasons, sitting in the lead assistant role as an offensive coordinator of sorts. He’s been key in LeBron James’ development dating back to their time together in Cleveland.

Longstaff comes from Chicago, his home for the past four years under Bulls coach Billy Donovan, and brings 14 years of experience to the table.

Jent, like Peterson, spent the past two seasons with Lakers and had stints with three other NBA teams before coming to the Hornets. Hill most recently was an assistant with Phoenix after being in Atlanta from 2018-23, surviving under three different head coaches.

Mueller’s ties with Lee stem from their days together with Boston. Mueller gained more bench experience guiding the G League’s Maine Celtics in 2023-24.

Bucknor was a Celtics’ player development coach in 2023-24.

The Hornets also hired Zeke Chapman as head video coordinator and added Austin Vereen and Zach Thomas as video coordinators to team with returning video coordinator John Bowen. Reggie Cameron has been brought on board as an associate video coordinator and two-way enhancement coach.