Former Charlotte Hornets and UNC basketball player to join NBA team’s TV broadcast
A familiar face will have a new role on the Charlotte Hornets’ TV broadcasts this season.
George Lynch, who spent time with the Hornets after starring at North Carolina, is joining Bally Sports Southeast as a studio analyst. Lynch will work alongside returning host Ashley ShahAmadi, including on the Hornets Live pregame show, and is expected to make his debut during the team’s regular-season home opener against New Orleans on Oct. 21.
“Man, I’m very excited for the opportunity,” Lynch told The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday after the move was officially announced. “I get asked during the NCAA tournament, the ACC tournament to come on and talk about basketball. It’s always been a passion since playing to watch it and listen to what guys have to say. And now I have an opportunity to share some of the thoughts and things that I’ve learned through the years.”
The 52-year-old rounds out the network’s crew, which includes play-by-play voice Eric Collins and color analyst Dell Curry. The duo is returning for its eighth season together.
“Luckily, I’ve got some senior broadcasters and they’ll show me the ropes,” Lynch said. “I’ve known Dell for a while and it will be great to be on the screen with those guys. I think working with them is a great opportunity for me.”
That feeling is mutual. Collins can’t wait for the new-look broadcast to be fully assembled.
“The Hornets Live pregame is a big part of my last-minute game prep,” Collins said. “I religiously watch from the broadcast booth while getting ready for tip. It’s how I get my game face on. I think every moment we get with Ashley ShahAamadi is a piece of stolen gold. She’s considered to be the best in the business for good reason. Thirty years from now, no one will believe that I once worked with her — she’s a star.
“And adding George to the mix I think is a halfcourt 3-pointer. Just a huge add. There’s not a thing that he can’t talk expertly on. I’m looking forward to hearing how his brain works. And adding a Tar Heel to the mix is never a bad idea.”
Lynch most recently served as the head coach of Clark Atlanta University’s men’s basketball team, holding the position from 2018-20 before the pandemic complicated things. He’s well-known in the Carolinas thanks to being a key member of the Tar Heels’ run to the 1993 national championship, leading to him getting selected 13th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Draft months later.
He played 12 seasons in the NBA and also had stints in Vancouver, Philadelphia and New Orleans wrapped around his time in Charlotte. He wanted to hang around the sport in some capacity following his retirement from the league and eventually joined his old high school teammate Russell Turner at UC Irvine as the team’s strength and conditioning coach.
Lynch also held the same position at Southern Methodist University under a noteworthy Tar Heel product — former Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown — before joining the G League’s Grand Rapids Drive in 2017. But he’s been back in Charlotte for a while now and is eager to bring a unique stance formed by the decades of experience he’s gained in a variety places.
“As a coach, sometimes players don’t think you ever know what you are talking about or like you,” Lynch said. “If a coach is pushing guys too hard, guys can look at coaches sideways. I know I have over my playing days. But also as a player, you can understand what they are going through. Especially an NBA season, traveling, coming off the road, being a young player, whether you play well at home or you play well on the road.
“Those types of things I think are a different perspective when you have been on both sides. So, I have a 30,000 (foot) viewpoint as a player and as a coach. So, I’ll hopefully — along with Dell — be able to explain what the guys are going through. The good and the bad.”
