Steve Clifford bids home farewell as Hornets coach

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford is joined by players for presentation of a jersey Tuesday before the Hornets' 130-104 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Spectrum Center. Clifford will step down at season's end to for an advisory position.

Hornets’ coach Steve Clifford final game at Spectrum Center started with ceremony and ended with a loss.

The team presented him a framed jersey before tip-off as part of his farewell. While the Dallas Mavericks’ 130-104 win wasn’t the way he wanted to go out, Clifford appreciated the gesture.

“I thought it was really nice,” Clifford said. “I appreciate everybody and the organization of that. That is something that I will treasure going forward.”

Part of the ceremony was a video messages from former Hornets Kemba Walker and Marvin Williams. By the look on his face postgame, it was special for Clifford.

“Obviously Kemba and Marvin I’m really close with,” he said. “I have coached them longer. I have a really good relationship with Brandon [Miller] and I look forward to having that grow in the next year or however many years as long as I’m still here.”

Even with all the attention on it being his last home game as coach, Clifford was all business, too. He gave the Mavericks credit for their performance and feels they can make a playoff push.

“Since they changed their starting lineup, I think they are 15-2 now,” he said. “Now they are bigger. I think before [the lineup change], they were top five in offense but maybe the middle of the [pack] in defense. With [Derrick] Jones Jr., [Daniel] Gafford and P.J. [Washington] they are bigger. Now, they are top 10 in both. When you’re doing that, you are going to be hard to play against in the playoffs.”

Hornets forward Grant Williams was upset that he and the team didn’t play better in Clifford’s final home game. Even in his short time as a Hornet, Williams, who was part of the swap that sent Washington to Dallas, has bonded with Clifford and feels he has learned a lot from him.

“It’s quite frustrating that we gave the performance that we did for his last game here in Charlotte,” Williams said. “I’m thankful for coach Cliff and honestly just giving me the opportunity to be me and play freely. It’s going to be sad to see him go, for sure.”

With just three games remaining in the season, the search for Charlotte’s (19-60) next coach continues. One of the names tossed around is Sean Sweeney, the Mavericks' lead assistant who has coached alongside head coach Jason Kidd for several years dating back to stops in Brooklyn and Milwaukee.

Having played for Sweeney, Williams thinks he would be a great candidate for the vacancy.

“[Sweeney] brings a competitive edge,” Williams said. “He has a passion for the game of basketball. As a person, he has a level of discipline in his own work. He is one of the hardest workers that I think I’ve been around as a coach. He is aggressive in views. That is how it’s supposed to be. He has a confident mindset and does a great job of getting guys prepared and asks guys to hold their standard. Both, from a professionalism standard and work standard. He is a great coach.”

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