Steve Clifford Ignores New Hornets VP’s Dream of Rewriting Michael Jordan’s Legacy

Steve Clifford has been the Head Coach of the Charlotte Hornets since they were called Bobcats. After assisting under both Jeff and Stan Van Gundy, he took the reins of a struggling Bobcats in 2013. After this, he took them to the Eastern Conference Playoffs in 2014. Clifford was hired when Michael Jordan was the owner of the team and now his decision to step down could tie into the re-haul of the team the young VP of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson was hinting at.

Clifford probably doesn’t see himself as a part of his “new” Hornets. This was corroborated further by Adrian Wojnarowski’s reports suggesting, “Charlotte’s new EVP of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson and co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin were open to bringing back him as coach next season, but Clifford, 62, decided he wasn’t prepared to commit to the year-round grind of head coaching for the 2024-2025 season.”

Wojnarowski also first reported Clifford’s wish to step down “at the end of the season and working to finalize a front office role with the franchise.” This shows the 62-year-old’s discontent with the new VP’s vision of the team. However, he won’t be getting far as he will be involved in team activities, but his role is not yet known.

Steve Clifford’s Highlights as Head Coach

Ever since Clifford started as a Head Coach in 2013, he has been a part of only two organizations. First, coaching the Bobcats till 2018, in a season tenure, he took the Bobcats to the Eastern Conference playoffs with a record of 43-29. That was remarkable considering the Hornets the previous year, the Bobcats had a dismal record of 21-61. In 2018, Clifford took his talents to the Orlando Magic.

He spent three seasons with the Magic ending their longest playoff drought in franchise history. It was also the First time the Magic were a contender after Trading Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012. The Charlotte Hornets called Clifford back again in 2021, and he remains Head Coach of the franchise until the offseason. Despite not having an NBA Championship in his resume, the 62-year-old imbibed a defensive mentality in any team he decided to coach, which ultimately became his legacy as a head coach.

Who do you think will replace him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Read More: At Only 35YO, Hornets New VP Wants To Rewrite Michael Jordan’s Legacy: “Put My Head Down”