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Charlotte Hornets

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For other uses, see Charlotte Hornets (disambiguation).
Charlotte Hornets
2016–17 Charlotte Hornets season
{{{name}}} logo
ConferenceEastern
DivisionSoutheast
Founded1988
HistoryCharlotte Hornets
1988–2002; 2014–present
Charlotte Bobcats
2004–2014[1][2]
ArenaSpectrum Center
LocationCharlotte, North Carolina
Team colorsDark purple, teal, gray, white[3][4]
       
Team managerRich Cho
Head coachSteve Clifford
OwnershipMichael Jordan
Affiliation(s)Greensboro Swarm (2016–present)
Championships0
Conference titles0
Division titles0
Retired numbers1 (13)
Websitehornets.com

The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team is largely owned by former NBA player Michael Jordan, who acquired controlling interest in the team in 2010.[5][6] The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte.

The original Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team, owned by George Shinn. In 2002, Shinn's franchise relocated to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004 the NBA established the Charlotte Bobcats, which was regarded as a new expansion team at the time. In 2013, the New Orleans franchise announced it would rebrand itself the New Orleans Pelicans, ultimately returning the Hornets name, records, and official history (spanning 1988–2002) to Charlotte. The Bobcats were officially renamed the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season.[1][7][8]

Franchise history

Further information: History of the Charlotte Hornets

1988–2002: Original Charlotte Hornets/George Shinn era

1985–1988: Birth of the Hornets

In 1985, the NBA, then at 23 teams, was planning to expand by four teams by the 1988–1989 season. George Shinn, an entrepreneur from Kannapolis, North Carolina, wanted to bring an NBA team to the Charlotte area, and he assembled a group of prominent local businessmen to head the prospective franchise. The Charlotte area had long been a hotbed for college basketball. Charlotte was also one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, and was previously one of the three in-state regional homes to the American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars from 1969 to 1974.

Despite doubt from critics, Shinn's ace in the hole was the Charlotte Coliseum, a state-of-the-art arena that would seat almost 24,000 spectators – the largest basketball-specific arena ever to serve as a full-time home for an NBA team. On April 5, 1987, then-NBA Commissioner David Stern called Shinn to tell him his group had been awarded the 24th NBA franchise, to begin play in 1988. Franchises were also granted to Miami, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Orlando.

Originally, the new team was going to be called the Charlotte Spirit, but a name-the-team contest yielded "Hornets" as the winning choice. The team received further attention when it chose teal as its primary color, setting off a sports fashion craze in the late 80s and early 90s.[9] The team's uniforms, designed by international designer and North Carolina native Alexander Julian, featured a first for NBA uniforms—pin stripes. Similar designs by other teams followed, as they became a hit.

Shinn hired Carl Scheer as the team's first President and General Manager. Scheer preferred a roster of veteran players, hoping to put together a competitive team as soon as possible. Former college coach and veteran NBA assistant Dick Harter was hired as the team's first head coach. In 1988, the Hornets and the Miami Heat were part of the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft. Unlike many expansion franchises that invest in the future with a team composed entirely of young players, Charlotte stocked its inaugural roster with several veterans in hopes of putting a competitive lineup on the court right away. The team also had three draft picks at the 1988 NBA draft.

1988–1992: Early seasons

Season tickets for the Hornets' inaugural season.

The Hornets' first NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the Charlotte Coliseum, losing 133–93 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[10] Four days later, the team notched its first-ever victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105.[11] On December 23, 1988, the Hornets really gave their fans something to cheer about, beating Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 103–101 in Jordan's first return to North Carolina as a professional.[12] The Hornets finished their inaugural season with a record of 20-62. Scheer left prior to the 1989–90 season. Despite initial concerns that the Coliseum was too big, the Hornets were a runaway hit, leading the NBA in attendance, a feat they would achieve seven more times in Charlotte. Eventually, the Hornets would sell out 364 consecutive games.

The Hornets' second season was a struggle from start to finish. Members of the team rebelled against Dick Harter's defense-oriented style, and he was replaced mid-season by assistant Gene Littles following an 8–32 start. Despite the change, the team continued to struggle, finishing the season with a disappointing 19–63 record.

The team showed improvement during the following season. They won eight of their first fifteen games, including a 120–105 victory over the Washington Bullets. However, the team went cold, losing their next eleven games. The Hornets, who hosted the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, finished with a 26–56 record. Despite the team's seven-game improvement over the previous season, Gene Littles was fired at the end of the season and replaced by general manager Allan Bristow.

With the first pick in the 1991 NBA draft, the Hornets drafted power forward Larry Johnson from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Johnson had an impact season, finishing among the league leaders in points and rebounds, and winning the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Additionally, Guard Kendall Gill led the club in scoring, averaging over 20 points per game. The team stayed in contention for a playoff spot until March, but finished the year with a 31–51 record.

1992–1995: Johnson-Mourning era

The Hornets were in the lottery again in 1992 and won the second overall pick in the draft, using it to select Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning. Charlotte now had two 20–10 threats in Johnson and Mourning, who with Kendall Gill, formed perhaps the league's top young trio. The team finished their fifth season at 44–38, their first-ever winning record and good enough for the first playoff berth in franchise history. Finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference, the Hornets upset the Boston Celtics in the first round, with Mourning winning the series with a 20-footer in game four.[13] However, the Hornets lacked the experience and depth to defeat the New York Knicks, falling in five games in the second round.

The Hornets finished the 1993–94 season with a 41–41 record, narrowly missing the playoffs. Despite injuries to both Johnson and Mourning, the two led the team in points-per-game.

In the 1994–95 season, the Hornets finished with a 50-32 record, returning to the playoffs. Johnson and Mourning again led the team in points-per-game, while also leading the club in rebounding. However, Charlotte was bounced from the playoffs in the first round, falling to the Chicago Bulls in four games. Following the season, the Hornets traded Mourning to the Miami Heat for forward Glen Rice, center Matt Geiger, and guard Khalid Reeves.

1995–1998: Glen Rice era

Glen Rice would make an immediate impact after joining the Hornets, leading the team in scoring and points-per-game during the 1995–96 season. While Rice and Johnson provided high-powered scoring, Geiger tied with Johnson for the team lead in rebounds, and All-Star guard Kenny Anderson ran the point for the injured Muggsy Bogues. The Hornets were competitive but failed to qualify for the playoffs, again finishing with a 41–41 record. Allan Bristow resigned at the end of the season, and was replaced by Dave Cowens.

The 1996 off-season was again marked by vast changes: Anderson declined to re-sign, Johnson was shipped to the Knicks for power forward Anthony Mason, and the team made a trade on draft day 1996, acquiring center Vlade Divac from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for the Lakers rights to rookie Kobe Bryant, who the Hornets picked 13th overall. The new-look Hornets were successful, with Divac and Geiger providing the center combination, Mason averaging a double-double, Bogues back at the point, and Rice having the finest season of his career. The team achieved the best season in its history at the time, finishing 54-28, and making it back to the playoffs. Despite the success during the regular season, the Hornets went down rather meekly to the Knicks in three games.

The 1997–98 season was also successful. Muggsy Bogues was traded two games into the season, and the team picked up point guard David Wesley and shooting guard Bobby Phills. With Wesley, Phills, Rice, Mason, and Divac, the Hornets romped through the regular season, finishing with a 51–31 record. The Hornets made it to back-to-back playoffs for the first time in franchise history, advancing to the second round, only to be stopped by the Bulls.

1998–2002: Final years of original personnel

The 1998–99 season was turbulent. The season didn't start until February, as the lockout shortened the regular season to only 50 games. Additionally, Glen Rice was traded to the Lakers for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell, and Dave Cowens resigned midway through the season. He was replaced by former Celtics teammate Paul Silas, who became the team's fifth head coach. The team finished with a 26–24 record, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

The next three seasons (1999–2000 NBA season, 2000–01 NBA season, 2001–02 NBA season), saw the Hornets in the playoffs each year, reaching the conference semifinals twice. Before the Hornets were eliminated from the 2002 playoffs, the NBA approved a deal for the team to move to New Orleans following the season, which came from discord between Shinn and the city of Charlotte.[14]

2004–2014: Charlotte Bobcats era

Shortly after the two-year hiatus of the Charlotte Hornets due to the New Orleans relocation, the NBA opened itself to the possibility of adding another expansion team in Charlotte for the 2004–05 season, given an arena deal could be reached.[15] Several ownership groups, including one led by former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, made bids for the franchise.[16] On December 18, 2002, a group led by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert L. Johnson was awarded the franchise,[17] allowing him to become the first majority African American owner in U.S. major professional sports since the Negro leagues.[18] Hip-hop artist Nelly became a notable co-owner.[19]

In June 2003, the team name was officially announced as the Bobcats.[20] The Charlotte Regional Sports Commission aided the naming process with a "Help Name The Team" effort that drew over 1,250 suggestions, with 'Flight' being the winner. However, it was discarded by Johnson and the team involved in creating the team's identity, being considered abstract and reminiscent of the then-current Iraq War aerial strikes.[21] Given Charlotte was already home to a cat-named team, the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, designer Chris Weiller made sure to create a logo that wouldn't be similar to the Panthers logo.[21] It has also been speculated that Johnson chose the name "Bobcats" in reference to his own name.[22][23]

The Bobcats hired Bernie Bickerstaff as the first head coach and general manager in franchise history.[24] A new arena to host the Bobcats in uptown Charlotte began construction in July 2003. The team would play its home games at the Coliseum until the new building was ready.

2004–2007: The NBA returns to Charlotte

The Bobcats versus the Dallas Mavericks on November 11, 2005.

The Bobcats held their expansion draft on June 22, 2004, picking up youngsters such as Gerald Wallace, Primož Brezec, and Jason Kapono. Shortly after, they traded with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire the second pick in the 2004 NBA draft, which they used to select center Emeka Okafor from Connecticut. The Bobcats' inaugural game, and the first of their 2004–05 season took place on November 4 at the Charlotte Coliseum, and was a 103–96 loss to the Washington Wizards.[25] Two days later, they won their first game in franchise history over the Orlando Magic, 111–100.[26] On December 14, the Bobcats beat the New Orleans Hornets in overtime in the team's first trip to Charlotte since relocating.[27] The Bobcats finished their inaugural season 18–64.[28] Emeka Okafor, however, won the 2004–05 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.[29]

In the 2005 NBA draft, the Bobcats drafted Raymond Felton and Sean May from North Carolina. In their second season, the Bobcats opened Charlotte Bobcats Arena with an overtime victory over the Celtics. Despite struggling for most of the year, they managed to close out the season with four straight wins to finish with a record of 26–56, an eight-game improvement from the previous season. After the season, the Bobcats announced that NBA legend and North Carolina native Michael Jordan had bought a minority stake in the team. As part of the deal, he became head of basketball operations, though Bickerstaff remained general manager.[30]

The Bobcats showed some improvement during the 2006–07 season, posting a playoff-hopeful record of 22–33 late in February 2007. However, the team went through an eight-game losing streak and dropped their record to 22–41 by early March 2007. Following the slump, Jordan announced that Bickerstaff would not return to coach the following season, but would finish coaching the remainder of the 2006–07 season.[24] The Bobcats won 11 of their last 19 games of Bickerstaff's tenure to finish their third season 33–49.

2007–2010: Larry Brown era

Front office and coaching were key focuses for the Bobcats during the 2007 offseason. Rod Higgins was hired as general manager,[31] and Sam Vincent was hired as the second head coach in franchise history.[32] In the 2007 NBA draft, Brandan Wright was selected by the Bobcats with the eighth pick; he was subsequently traded to Golden State for Jason Richardson. The Bobcats were unable to capitalize on offseason moves, finishing the 2007–08 season with a 32–50 record. The team struggled amid rumors of players clashing with the coach.[33] After a year, during which he struggled with personnel decisions, Sam Vincent was fired in April 2008.[34]

On April 29, 2008 the Bobcats reached an agreement to hire Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Brown as the third head coach in franchise history.[35] In the 2008 NBA draft, the Bobcats selected D. J. Augustin from Texas ninth overall. On December 10, 2008, a little over a month into the season, the Bobcats obtained Boris Diaw and Raja Bell in a trade with Phoenix. The trade turned out to be successful as the team came close to reaching the franchise's first playoff berth, but finished four games out of eighth place with a record of 35-47. Following the season, majority owner Bob Johnson announced he was putting the team up for sale.

Michael Jordan acquired the Bobcats in 2010.

2009–2010: Michael Jordan's Acquisition of the Franchise

During the offseason, the team picked Gerald Henderson from Duke 12th overall in the 2009 NBA draft. The Bobcats traded Emeka Okafor for New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler, and through more trades acquired Stephen Jackson and Acie Law from the Golden State Warriors. On February 27, 2010, it was announced that Johnson had decided to sell the team to Jordan, allowing Jordan to become the first former NBA player to become majority owner of a franchise.[36]

On April 9, 2010, the Bobcats clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 with an exciting 104–103 road win over the New Orleans Hornets,[37] finishing the 2009–10 season with an overall record of 44–38, the Bobcats' first-ever winning season. Gerald Wallace was a huge factor in the playoff run as he became the Bobcats' first and only NBA All-Star. However, the Bobcats were swept by the Orlando Magic in 4 games.

2010–2014: Final Years of the Bobcats

Despite the departures of Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler, the Bobcats hoped to make the playoffs for a second straight season. Following a dismal 9–19 start, Jordan announced that Larry Brown had stepped down as head coach. Paul Silas was hired as their new head coach the same day. The Bobcats sent Wallace to the Portland Trail Blazers and received two first round draft picks, Joel Przybilla, Sean Marks, and Dante Cunningham, also acquiring D. J. White and Morris Peterson in a trade with the Thunder. Going down the stretch, injuries to both Stephen Jackson and Tyrus Thomas derailed any chances of Charlotte trying to catch the Indiana Pacers for the eighth spot in the east. In the end, the Bobcats finished the season with a 34–48 record overall, finishing 25–29 under Silas.

On June 13, 2011, the Bobcats made some changes to their front office by hiring former Trail Blazers general manager Rich Cho to the same position and promoting Rod Higgins to President of Basketball Operations. During the 2011 NBA draft the Bobcats sent Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and the 19th pick to Milwaukee and received Corey Maggette and the 7th pick in return. The Bobcats used that pick to draft Bismack Biyombo and with their 9th pick drafted Connecticut's Kemba Walker, the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In the lockout-shortened 2011–2012 season, Charlotte lost often, including their last 23 games. During their season finale against the New York Knicks, the Bobcats recorded yet another loss as their win percentage dropped to .106, setting a new record for the worst season ever by an NBA team (as this season was shortened by the lockout, the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers still hold the record for most losses in a season with 73). Overall, the team's record was 7-59. On April 30, 2012, the Bobcats announced that Silas would not return as head coach. St. John's assistant Mike Dunlap was named as his successor.

With the 2nd pick in the 2012 NBA draft, the Bobcats selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and selected Jeffery Taylor with the 31st pick. They also added Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions and Brendan Haywood in free agency. The Bobcats won their first game against the Pacers, snapping their 23-game losing streak. The team seemed to rebound with a 7–5 start to the season. However, they promptly went on an 18-game losing streak from which they never recovered, snapping the streak with a win at Chicago. Charlotte finished 21–61, the second-worst record in the league. Dunlap was fired on April 23, reportedly because the players were turned off by his heavy-handed coaching style. He would be replaced by former Los Angeles Lakers assistant head coach Steve Clifford.

During the 2013 NBA draft, the Bobcats selected power forward/center Cody Zeller 4th overall. The Bobcats would also obtain former Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson in free agency. In February 2014, the team received Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour in a trade with the Bucks. The new players and coaching staff worked as the Bobcats clinched a playoff berth for the second time in franchise history by beating Cleveland on the road. Charlotte finished the regular season 43-39. However, the Bobcats were swept in four games by defending champion Miami in the first round.

2014–present: New Hornets era

On May 21, 2013, Jordan officially announced the organization had submitted an application to change the name of the franchise to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season, pending a majority vote for approval by the NBA Board of Governors at a meeting in Las Vegas on July 18, 2013.[38] The NBA announced, on July 18, 2013, that it had unanimously approved the rebranding, which would begin upon the conclusion of the 2013–14 season.[39] The Bobcats announced on November 22 they would adopt a modified version of the original Hornets' teal-purple-white color palette, with black, gray and Carolina blue as accents.[40][41] The team officially unveiled its future logo and identity scheme during halftime of their December 21 game against the Jazz.[42] The team also started the "Buzz City" campaign to hype up the Hornets return.[43] On January 16, 2014, the Bobcats revealed new Hornets shirts, hats and gear.[44]

On May 20, 2014, the Bobcats officially became the second incarnation of the Charlotte Hornets. At a press conference regarding the change, team officials also announced that as part of a deal with the NBA and the Pelicans, the renamed Hornets reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Hornets (in a move similar to that of the NFL's Cleveland Browns return to the league in 1999), while all of the Hornets' records during their time in New Orleans from 2002 to 2013 remained with the Pelicans.[1][45][46] Charlotte had already been using past footage of the original Hornets as part of the "Buzz City" campaign.

To restate and clarify a confusing series of events: after the 2002 season, the original Hornets moved to New Orleans. In 2004, Charlotte was granted a new franchise, the Bobcats. After the 2013–14 season, the Bobcats changed their name to the Hornets and reclaimed the history and records of the 1988–2002 Hornets. As a result, the Hornets are now retconned as having suspended operations from 2002 to 2004, while the Pelicans are now retconned as having joined the league in 2002 as an expansion team.[45]

In the 2014 NBA draft, the Hornets had the 9th overall pick from an earlier trade with the Detroit Pistons, which they used to select Noah Vonleh from Indiana. In the same draft they acquired UConn Husky Shabazz Napier, Dwight Powell from Stanford, and Semaj Christon from Xavier in the second round. They later traded Napier to the Heat for P. J. Hairston (formerly from UNC), the rights to the 55th pick, Miami's 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations. The team also picked up Scotty Hopson (whom they would trade to New Orleans) and cash considerations in free agency.

During their first year of free agency as the Hornets, the team signed former Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson. The Hornets also signed former Jazz and Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams to a two-year deal. A mostly difficult year led to a 33–49 record overall and a 4th-place finish in the division.[47] Stephenson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes who was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The following year, the team underwent a massive improvement. Acquiring players such as Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, and Jeremy Lin, among others, gave the Hornets a winning spark. The team finished 48–34 overall, having their best season in franchise history since the original Hornets era. Charlotte returned to the playoffs, where they lost to Miami in seven games in the first round.

Logos and Uniforms

Logos

File:Retro Charlotte Hornets logo.gif
Primary logo, 1988–2002

When the Hornets were first introduced, the logo was of a teal and purple scowl-faced anthropomorphic hornet wearing white shoes and gloves dribbling an orange basketball. The words 'Charlotte Hornets' were in teal and curved across the top and bottom of the logo. An alternate logo, used only for the 1988–89 season, featured a large teal letter 'C', with 'Charlotte' in black letters curved upwards underneath. Inside the 'C' was a smaller white letter 'H' outlined in teal, with a black colored hornet holding a basketball from birds-eye view placed in the center. The 'H' portion of the logo remained on the warm-ups and wasteband of the jerseys until the 1991–92 season.[48]

The Bobcats primary logo from 2004 to 2013 consisted of a snarling orange bobcat heat facing to the right with the indented name 'Bobcats' above it in silver on a blue background, with 'Charlotte' (also indented) appearing above it in the same blue color. A change to a less vibrant orange and blue, while retaining the same look, was made in 2007. Further color changes in 2013 made the bobcat gray, extended the blue background up to the 'Charlotte' name, which changed from blue to gray. A Carolina blue outline around the entire logo was also added. In 2007 the Bobcats unveiled a secondary logo, consisting of a snarling bobcat head facing forward with one side shaded orange, and the other blue. A silver basketball was placed behind the right of the head, all encased in an orange-blue-gray circle. During the 2013 rebranding, the colors were changed, with gray and Carolina blue replacing orange on the head and circle outline, respectively, and the basketball changing to orange. This logo would become prominent in the team's marketing and be featured at center court from 2007–08 until 2013–14.

Charlotte's second Hornets logo features a teal and purple forward-facing hornet with the words 'Charlotte Hornets' on its torso. Wings sprout up above the head on both left and right, with teal and purple details. The hornet's stinger is prominently featured; a basketball pattern is above the stinger. Gray fully outlines the logo.[42] Among the team's different secondary logos includes a hornet facing to the side, its teal and purple body arched in a 'C' shape representing the city of Charlotte, and a modified version of the Hornets original logo (sans the basketball) as the official mascot logo.[42]

Uniforms

The original Hornets uniforms were designed by international designer and North Carolina native Alexander Julian. The team chose teal and purple as its primary colors and featured a first for NBA uniforms—pinstripes. While most teams feature team names on home jerseys and their home city on away jerseys, the Hornets' uniforms had "Charlotte" on both home and away jerseys. Home uniforms were white with pinstripes in teal, green, blue and purple, while the away jerseys were teal with pinstripes in white, green, blue and purple. The 'Hugo' logo was prominently featured on the shorts' beltline, beginning in early 1992.[49]

In 1994, the Hornets unveiled a purple alternate uniform, with pinstripes in white, green, blue and teal. Likewise Hugo was featured in the beltline.

From 1997 to 2002, the Hornets made slight changes to their uniforms. Hugo was moved from the beltline to the left leg, while side stripes with pinstripes were added, in purple (away) and teal (home) colors. A tricolor featuring teal, purple and blue was featured on the beltline and the piping.

From 2004 to 2009, the Bobcats' home jerseys were white, reading "Bobcats" in orange with blue and black trimming. The primary away jersey was orange reading "Charlotte" in white with blue and black trimming.[50] In the 2006 offseason, the Bobcats announced a new alternate away jersey which debuted during the 2006–07 season. The alternate jersey is blue, with the name "Bobcats" in white with black, orange and white trimming.[51] Racing Day blue alternates (with an arched 'Charlotte', checkered flag side stripes, and centered numbers) are used to honor Charlotte's NASCAR fanbase.

For the 2009–10 season, the Bobcats sported redesigned uniforms, having a mixture of characteristics from both Hornets and Bobcats uniforms. They also resemble the Magic's current kit. The home uniforms were white and featured an arched "Bobcats" in blue with orange and white trim. Road uniforms were blue and featured an arched "Charlotte" in white with blue and orange trim. Both designs feature silver pinstripes, similar to what the Hornets wore. The NASCAR uniform was also updated to include the pinstripes. For the 2011–12 season, however, the Bobcats wore their home uniforms on NASCAR night, complete with a racing flag patch.

The Bobcats unveiled Hardwood Classics uniforms honoring the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s Carolina Cougars, which the team wore for select games in 2012.[52]

The Bobcats unveiled new uniforms on June 19, 2012, their second change in five years. Overall, they feature less emphasis on orange. The white home uniforms featured the shorter nickname 'Cats' in navy and Carolina blue trim, while the numbers were in Carolina blue and navy trim, with navy side stripes. The navy away uniforms featured 'Charlotte' in white and Carolina blue trim, with the numbers featured the same trim as the city name, with Carolina blue side stripes. In both uniforms, the pinstripes were relegated to the sides. The uniforms bear a close resemblance to the Dallas Mavericks uniforms. The addition of Carolina blue was seen as way to connect current owner Michael Jordan's collegiate roots, while the formal adoption of 'Cats' for marketing purposes reflected a popular nickname.

The newly renamed Hornets unveiled the team's uniforms on June 19, 2014, consisting of white home and purple road uniforms with the "Hornets" wordmark across the chest. The team also unveiled a teal alternate uniform with the "Charlotte" wordmark across the chest. The teal uniform is planned to be used as an alternate uniform for either home or road games and worn a total of 16-20 times per season.[53]

On June 25, 2015, the Hornets unveiled a black sleeved alternate uniform, featuring their "Buzz City" nickname in front. The team plans to wear the uniform for as many as six games during the 2015–16 NBA season.[54] It was also worn during select games of the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

Arenas

  • Charlotte Coliseum (1988–2002), (2004–2005)
  • Spectrum Center (known as Charlotte Bobcats Arena from 2005 to 2008 and as Time Warner Cable Arena from 2008 to 2016) (2005–present)

The Hornets played their first 15 seasons at the Charlotte Coliseum, which was called "The Hive" by Hornets fans. The Hornets made the Coliseum home from 1988 to 2002. With almost 24,000 seats, it was (and still remains) the largest basketball-specific venue in the league by seating capacity. The Coliseum hosted 364 consecutive NBA sell-outs from December 1988 to November 1997. The Hornets would go on to lead the NBA in attendance over the course of their first seven seasons. When they returned as the Bobcats, they temporarily played in the Coliseum in the 2004–05 season while their new arena (the Charlotte Bobcats Arena) was being built. After its completion, the city closed the old Coliseum in the 2005 offseason and opened the new arena with a Rolling Stones concert. In April 2008, the Bobcats reached a naming rights deal with Time Warner Cable, the Charlotte area's largest cable television provider. In exchange for the naming rights, Time Warner agreed to tear up the cable television deal that had limited the Bobcats' exposure over the team's first four years.[55][56] In August 2016, the arena was renamed the Spectrum Center after Time Warner's merger with Charter Communications. Charter's all-digital TV, internet and voice offering's brand name is Spectrum.[57]

Personnel

See also: Charlotte Hornets draft history, Charlotte Hornets all-time roster, and Category:Charlotte Hornets players

Current roster

Charlotte Hornets roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G 1 Ball, LaMelo 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2001-08-22 SPIRE Academy (OH)
F 0 Bridges, Miles 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1998-03-21 Michigan State
G 30 Curry, Seth 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1990-08-23 Duke
C 14 Diabaté, Moussa (TW) 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 2002-01-21 Michigan
F/C 67 Gibson, Taj 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 232 lb (105 kg) 1985-06-24 USC
G/F 10 Green, Josh 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-11-16 Arizona
G/F 3 Jeffries, DaQuan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1997-08-30 Tulsa
G 23 Mann, Tre 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2001-02-03 Florida
F 11 Martin, Cody 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1995-09-28 Nevada
G 22 Micić, Vasilije 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 1994-01-13 Serbia
G/F 24 Miller, Brandon 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2002-11-22 Alabama
G 27 Rhoden, Jared (TW) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1999-08-27 Seton Hall
C 4 Richards, Nick 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1997-11-29 Kentucky
F 31 Salaün, Tidjane 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 2005-08-10 France
G 25 Simpson, KJ (TW) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 2002-08-08 Colorado
G 8 Smith, Nick Jr. 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2004-04-18 Arkansas
F 2 Williams, Grant 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 236 lb (107 kg) 1998-11-30 Tennessee
C 5 Williams, Mark Injured 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 242 lb (110 kg) 2001-12-16 Duke
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: October 21, 2024

Retained draft rights

The Hornets hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player is ostensibly either an international draftee or a college draftee who isn't signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[58] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

Draft Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Current team Note(s) Ref

Head coaches

Main article: List of Charlotte Hornets head coaches
Name Start End Totals Regular season Playoffs
G W L PCT G W L PCT G W L PCT
Dick Harter June 2, 1988 January 31, 1990 122 28 94 .230 122 28 94 .230 0 0 0 –
Gene Littles January 31, 1990 July 24, 1991 124 37 87 .298 124 37 87 .298 0 0 0 –
Allan Bristow July 24, 1991 April 23, 1996 423 212 211 .501 410 207 203 .505 13 5 8 .385
Dave Cowens May 29, 1996 March 7, 1999 191 113 78 .592 179 109 70 .609 12 4 8 .333
Paul Silas[a] March 7, 1999 May 15, 2002 304 172 132 .566 281 161 120 .573 23 11 12 .478
Bernie Bickerstaff October 16, 2004 March 13, 2007 246 77 169 .313 246 77 169 .313 0 0 0 –
Sam Vincent May 25, 2007 April 26, 2008 82 32 50 .390 82 32 50 .390 0 0 0 –
Larry Brown April 29, 2008 December 22, 2010 196 88 108 .449 192 88 104 .449 4 0 4 .000
Paul Silas[a] December 22, 2010 April 30, 2012 120 32 88 .267 120 32 88 .267 0 0 0 –
Mike Dunlap June 18, 2012 April 23, 2013 82 21 61 .256 82 21 61 .256 0 0 0 –
Steve Clifford May 29, 2013 [59] – 257 127 130 .494 246 124 122 .504 11 3 8 .273
Totals 2147 939 1208 .437 2084 916 1168 .440 63 23 40 .365
  • a 1 2 Paul Silas has a combined total of 424 games coached, with a win-loss record of 204 wins and 220 losses, for a .481 winning percentage during his non-consecutive tenures in Charlotte.

Franchise records, awards and honors

See also: Charlotte Hornets accomplishments and records and List of Charlotte Hornets seasons

Franchise leaders

Bold denotes still active with team. Italic denotes still active but not with team.

Regular Season (as of the end of the 2015–16 season)

Points

Rebounds

Assists

Minutes Played

Individual awards

Rookie of the Year

NBA All-Rookie First Team

NBA All-Rookie Second Team

All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Third Team

NBA All-Defensive First Team

NBA All-Defensive Second Team

NBA All-Star

All-Star Game MVP

Sixth Man of the Year

Executive of the Year

Retired numbers

Charlotte Hornets retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure
13 Bobby Phills G 1997–2000
  • The Charlotte Hornets retired Phills' number on February 9, 2000 after he was killed in an automobile accident in Charlotte. His jersey hung from the rafters of the Charlotte Coliseum until the franchise relocated in May 2002. It was displayed in the New Orleans Arena until the franchise became the Pelicans in 2013. On November 1, 2014, his jersey was returned to Charlotte, where it was re-honored and currently hangs in the Spectrum Center.[60][61][62]

Basketball Hall of Famers

Charlotte Hornets Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
00 Robert Parish C 1994–96 2003
33 Alonzo Mourning C/F 1992–95 2014
Coaches
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
– Dave Cowens 1 Coach 1996–99 1991
– Larry Brown 2 Coach 2008–10 2002
Notes:
  • 1 Inducted as player.
  • 2 Coached the team when they were known as the Charlotte Bobcats.

FIBA Hall of Famers

Charlotte Hornets Hall of Famers
Players
No. Name Position Tenure Inducted
12 Vlade Divac C 1996–98 2010

Mascot and Cheerleaders

The original Hugo in New Orleans

Hugo The Hornet is the current mascot of the franchise, and was retained by the New Orleans Hornets after the Charlotte Hornets departure in 2002, until the New Orleans franchise's rebranding as the Pelicans. Shortly after the news that the Bobcats would get the Hornets name back, at halftime of a December 21, 2013, game between the Bobcats and the Utah Jazz, Hugo was announced to return as the Charlotte Hornets' new mascot for the 2014–2015 NBA season.[42]

From 2004–2013, Rufus D. Lynx was the mascot of the Bobcats.[63][64] He first appeared on November 1, 2003, according to his official bio on the Bobcats' website. The name comes from the scientific name of the bobcat, which is Lynx rufus. During the 2012 NBA All-Star Jam Session, Rufus D. Lynx broke a world record along with Coyote, Grizz, Hooper, and Sly the Silver Fox for most "between the legs" basketball dunks.[65][66] Bleacher Report ranked Rufus as the 8th best mascot in the NBA.[67] Rufus D. Lynx is featured in NBA Jam 2010.[68] Rufus D. Lynx was officially retired following the conclusion of the 2013–14 NBA season, and the Hornets made him a farewell video on May 2014.[69] The updated Hugo was unveiled on an around the city tour on June 5, 2014.[70]

The Hornets have an official cheerleading squad known as the Charlotte Honey Bees. The Honey Bees perform sideline dances as well as center-court dances during games. They also represent the Hornets brand as ambassadors to the community and are involved in community service activities and charity functions. When the team was known as the Bobcats, the cheerleaders were called the Lady Cats.

Media coverage

Main article: List of Charlotte Hornets broadcasters

From 1988 to 1992, the Hornets aired most road games, and occasional home games, on a network of stations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia fronted by WCCB in Charlotte. WCCB's longtime owner, Cy Bahakel, was a minority partner in the Hornets' original ownership group. Starting with the 1990–91 season, several games also aired on the original SportSouth, forerunner of Fox Sports South, for customers in North and South Carolina. WJZY became the Hornets' over-the-air flagship in 1992, and remained as such until 1998. From 1995 to 1998, some games aired on WJZY's sister station, WFVT-TV (now WMYT-TV). WAXN-TV became the flagship for the 1998–99 season, and remained as such until the original team departed in 2002. Generally, most home games slated for telecast aired on SportSouth/Fox Sports South.

When the team returned as the Bobcats in 2004, Johnson partnered with Time Warner to create Carolinas Sports Entertainment Television (C-SET), a regional sports network. It aired 60 Bobcats games that also aired on Comporium Cable in the South Carolina portion of the Charlotte market. However, Time Warner placed C-SET on its digital package as an incentive to try to get customers to switch to its digital service, leaving analog customers in the dark. It also refused to allow DirecTV or Dish Network to pick up C-SET on their local feeds. As a result, Time Warner customers without digital cable, as well as western North Carolina and most of South Carolina, were left to rely on radio coverage.

C-SET folded on the day of the 2005 NBA draft, and most games then moved to News 14 Carolina, a cable news channel available on Time Warner Cable's systems in Charlotte, the Triad and the Triangle. However, this still left viewers in most of South Carolina (except for the South Carolina side of the Charlotte area, which saw games on Comporium) as well as eastern and western North Carolina, out in the cold. News 14 was also not available on satellite.

As part of the Time Warner Cable Arena deal, the Bobcats signed over broadcasting rights to Fox Sports South. Starting with the last five games of the 2007–08 season, about 70 games per season were shown on Fox Sports Carolinas (Fox Sports South's new regional feed) and sister network Sportsouth (renamed Fox Sports Southeast in 2015) in North and South Carolina. The deal is believed to be the first simultaneous naming rights and broadcast rights deal in the history of North American professional sports.[55] Since the 2008–09 season, all Bobcats/Hornets games that aren't slated for national broadcast have aired on either Fox Sports Carolinas or Sportsouth/Fox Sports Southeast.

For the team's first four seasons, select games also aired on a network of over-the-air stations across North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, fronted by WJZY from 2004 to 2006 and WMYT from 2006 to 2008.

The team's radio flagship is all-sports station WFNZ. Before 2010, games had aired on WOLS. WOLS switched its non-sports programming from oldies to Spanish language on January 1, 2009, making Bobcats and Duke basketball the station's only non-Spanish language programming. WBT was the Hornets' radio flagship during the original franchise's entire run.

References

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