The first Asian American General Manager in major league sports, Rich Cho, has been fired by the Charlotte Hornets, reports NBA.com.
Several news outlets have reported team owner Michael Jordan decided not to renew Cho’s contract.
He has been with the Hornets since 2011. The team has made the playoffs twice during his tenure-in 2014 and 2016.
They are expected to miss the playoffs this year for the second straight season.
“It’s been a privilege to serve as the Charlotte Hornets’ General Manager for the past seven years,” Cho said in a statement published by ABC and ESPN. “I want to thank Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk, and the entire organization for giving me that opportunity, and for their support since that moment.
Jordan confirmed the firing in a statement of his own.
“Rich worked tirelessly on behalf of our team and instituted a number of management tools that have benefited our organization. We are deeply committed to our fans and to the city of Charlotte to provide a consistent winner on the court. The search will now begin for our next head of basketball operations who will help us achieve that goal.”
Cho was first hired as a general manager for the Portland Trailblazers in 2010, only to be fired a year later. Previously he served as an assistant general manager with the then Seattle Supersonics and then the Oklahoma City Thunder for eight years.
He was born in Rangoon, Burma and came to the United States with his parents in 1968.
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