Prior to joining the Charlotte Hornets during the 2018 off-season, James Borrego was an Assistant Coach with the San Antonio Spurs and was considered to be one of the top available candidates for a head coaching gig.
Mitch Kupchak was hired as the Hornets’ new General Manager on April 13th of last year, and his first move was firing Steve Clifford. Less than a month later, after interviewing multiple coaching candidates, Kupchak opted to go with Borrego, making him the first full-time Hispanic Head Coach in NBA history.
My instant reaction was that it was a great move by Kupchak and the Hornets, and I still believe that to this day.