Mitch Kupchak

Three-time NBA champion as a player; longtime Lakers executive; former Hornets president of basketball operations.

Mitchell Kupchak (born May 24, 1954) is an American professional basketball executive and retired player. He is the former president of basketball operations and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a college player, Kupchak was an All-American at the University of North Carolina and a member of the gold medal-winning 1976 United States Olympic team. As a professional player, he won three NBA titles – one as a member of the Washington Bullets and two with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Quick Facts

Position: Advisor
League: NBA
Team: Charlotte Hornets
Born: 24 May 1954
Birthplace: Brentwood, New York, U.S.
High school: Brentwood (Brentwood, New York)
College: North Carolina (1972–1976)
Draft round: 1

Lore & Background

Kupchak was born in Brentwood, New York, and attended Brentwood High School. He was an All-American on the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in his senior season. He played on the gold medal-winning team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Drafted by the Washington Bullets in 1976, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team and won an NBA championship with the Bullets in 1978. He later signed with the Lakers in 1981 and won two more NBA titles with them in 1985 and 1987. After retiring as a player, he became an executive with the Lakers, eventually serving as general manager, and later joined the Charlotte Hornets as president of basketball operations and general manager in 2018. He stepped down from that role on February 12, 2024, transitioning into an advisory role.

Reader's Guide

Mitchell Kupchak is a former NBA player and executive. He won three NBA titles as a player: one with the Washington Bullets (1978) and two with the Los Angeles Lakers (1985, 1987). He served as general manager of the Lakers from 2000 to 2017 and as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets from 2018 to 2024.