Charles Lee discusses Moussa Diabaté's unfortunate injury against the Hawks

Moussa Diabaté's unfortunate injury gets broken down by head coach Charles Lee.

Matt Alquiza | Mar 19, 2025

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Charlotte Hornets

Moussa Diabaté has been a god-send for the Charlotte Hornets. The veteran forward/center has consistently provided a spark for Charles Lee's squad on his way to earning a three-year, $5.6 million contract upgrade from Charlotte earlier this season.

His relentless energy, passionate hustle, innate sense of positioning on the glass, and stout defensive presence have been invaluable for a Hornets team that has been floundering for much of 2024-25. Lee and Jeff Peterson have hammered home the idea of 'Hornets DNA' since their appointment last spring, and Diabaté has it coursing through his veins.

All of that makes his Tuesday night injury in a blowout against the Atlanta Hawks sting that much more. Head coach Charles Lee was asked about the unfortunate injury to Diabaté following last night's contest.

🎙️ Charles Lee on Moussa Diabate: "It's tough to see a guy like that go down."

"He's brought such an infectious, competitive spirit and joy to the game. Every time he checks in, it feels like he does something impactful that helps and lifts our team..." pic.twitter.com/T2KBJacBAp
— r/CharlotteHornets on Reddit (@HornetsReddit) March 19, 2025

"It's tough to see a guy like that go down. He's brought such an infectious competitive spirit and joy to the game and every time he checks in it feels like he does something impactful that helps our team and lifts our team. So, obviously unfortunate for Moussa, but we will evaluate him and figure out what our next steps are and what the injury is."

At the time of this publication, there has been no update on Diabaté's status. He was injured late in the third quarter trying to defend a Zaccharie Risacher drive that ended in the two making awkward contact with their knees.

The Hornets take the floor next on Thursday evening at the Spectrum Center against the New York Knicks, so an update on Diabaté's status for that game can be expected on Wednesday evening.