Mitch Kupchak has officially been named president and general manager of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Hornets elected not to renew the contract of Rich Cho in February.

"I'm excited to join the Hornets organization, and I want to thank Michael for this opportunity," Kupchak said in a statement. "I am well aware of the passion for basketball in Charlotte and throughout the entire state of North Carolina‎, and I am confident that we can build the Hornets into a successful team that our great fans can be proud of."

Michael Jordan and Kupchak have a longstanding relationship built around their ties to the University of North Carolina and late coach Dean Smith.

The Hornets have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

Kupchak was fired by the Lakers in 2017 when they hired Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka.