Dressed in a sweatsuit punctuated with a crisp white hoodie emblazoned with teal letters spelling out Charlotte Hornets, Steve Clifford lowers himself into a plush chair inside his spacious office.
The Hornets’ 62-year-old coach is taking a short break, only back downstairs briefly after overseeing the optional work that has the Novant Health Training Center buzzing with activity on this early fall morning. It’s a little different for Clifford this year, mostly because he didn’t have to play catch-up throughout the summer like he did leading into last season when he got hired just after the 2022 NBA Draft.