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 of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Spectrum Center.
Charlotte Hornets | |||
---|---|---|---|
2024–25 Charlotte Hornets season | |||
Conference | Eastern | ||
Division | Southeast | ||
Founded | 1988 | ||
History | Charlotte Hornets 1988–2002, 2014–present Charlotte Bobcats 2004–2014[1][2][3] | ||
Arena | Spectrum Center | ||
Location | Charlotte, North Carolina | ||
Team colors | Teal, Hornets purple, gray, white[4][5][6] [7] | ||
President | Shelly Cayette-Weston | ||
General manager | Jeff Peterson | ||
Head coach | Charles Lee | ||
Ownership | Gabe Plotkin & Rick Schnall (majority)[8] Eric Church, J Cole, and Michael Jordan (minority)[9][10] | ||
Affiliation(s) | Greensboro Swarm | ||
Championships | 0 | ||
Conference titles | 0 | ||
Division titles | 0 | ||
Retired numbers | 1 (13) | ||
Website | www | ||
|
The original Charlotte Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team owned by George Shinn. In 2002, Shinn moved the franchise to New Orleans. The team continued to play as the Hornets until 2013, when its name was changed to the New Orleans Pelicans.
As part of an agreement with the NBA, a new team known as the Charlotte Bobcats began competing in the 2004–05 NBA season.[11] On June 15, 2006, Michael Jordan, a former NBA player and member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, acquired a minority stake in the franchise and became its managing member of basketball operations. On February 17, 2010, an ownership group led by Jordan purchased a majority share of the franchise.[12] In 2013, the Bobcats announced they would begin playing under the Charlotte Hornets name in the 2014–15 season.[13][14][15] On the day the name change became official, the franchise reclaimed the history and records of the original Hornets.[16] The Hornets are now retroactively considered as having suspended operations from 2002 to 2004, while the Pelicans are now considered a 2002 expansion team.
In August 2023, Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets to a group of investors led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.[17][18] He retained a minority share in the ownership of the team.[18]
History
edit1985–1988: Creation of the Hornets
editIn 1985, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams by the 1988–89 season, later modified to include a total of four expansion teams. George Shinn, an entrepreneur from Kannapolis, 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,[19] and was previously one of the three in-state regional homes to the American Basketball Association's (ABA) Carolina Cougars from 1969 to 1974.[20]
Despite doubt from critics,[who?] 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,[21] but a name-the-team contest yielded "Hornets" as the winning choice. The name originates from British General Cornwallis, who allegedly described the city as "a hornet's nest of rebellion" following the Battle of Charlotte in 1780, though it was first attested in 1819.[22] The team received further attention when it chose teal as its primary color, setting off a sports fashion craze in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[23] The team's uniforms, designed by international designer and North Carolina native Alexander Julian, featured a first for NBA uniforms—pin stripes.[24] Similar designs by other teams followed, as they became a hit.
Shinn hired Carl Scheer as the team's first President and General Manager.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]
1988–1992: Early seasons
editThe Hornets' first NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the Charlotte Coliseum, losing 133–93 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[28] Four days later, the team notched its first-ever victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105.[29] On December 23, 1988, the Hornets beat Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 103–101 in Jordan's first return to North Carolina as a professional.[30] The Hornets finished their inaugural season with a record of 20–62. Scheer left prior to the 1989–90 season.[31]
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.[32]
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.[33]
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.[34] 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.[35] Johnson had an impact season, finishing among the league leaders in points and rebounds, and winning the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.[36] 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.[37]
1992–1995: The Larry Johnson/Alonzo Mourning era
editThe 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.[38][39] 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.[40] However, the Hornets lacked the experience and depth to defeat the New York Knicks, falling in five games in the second round.[41]
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.[42]
In the 1994–95 season, the Hornets finished with a 50–32 record, returning to the playoffs.[43] 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.[44] Following the season, the Hornets traded Mourning to the Miami Heat for forward Glen Rice, center Matt Geiger, and guard Khalid Reeves.[45]
1995–1998: The Glen Rice era
editGlen 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.[46]
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 rights to rookie and future Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, whom the Hornets picked 13th overall.[47] 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.[48] 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.[49] With Wesley, Phills, Rice, Mason, and Divac, the Hornets romped through the regular season, finishing with a 51–31 record.[50] 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
editThe 1998–99 season was shortened. The season did not 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.[51] He was replaced by former Celtics teammate Paul Silas, who became the team's fifth head coach.[52] The team finished with a 26–24 record, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The next three seasons (1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02) 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 2002–03 season. The move came mainly because attendance tailed off dramatically, reportedly due to Shinn's declining popularity in the city.[53][54][55]
2004–2014: Charlotte Bobcats
editShortly after the relocation of the team to New Orleans, as part of the deal with the city of Charlotte, as well as to avoid a Cleveland Browns–like lawsuit, the NBA opened itself to the possibility of adding a replacement team in Charlotte for the 2004–05 season, provided that an arena deal could be reached.[56] Several ownership groups, including one led by former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, made bids for the franchise.[57] On December 18, 2002, a group led by BET founder Robert L. Johnson was awarded the franchise,[58] allowing him to become the first African American majority owner in U.S. major professional sports since the Negro leagues.[59] The franchise with Johnson as its owner was approved by the NBA Board of Governors on January 10, 2003.[60] Hip-hop artist Nelly became a notable co-owner.[61] The owners paid a $300 million expansion fee to enter the league.[62]
In June 2003, the team name was officially announced as the Bobcats.[63] 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.[64] 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 would not be similar to the Panthers logo.[64] It has also been speculated that Johnson chose the name "Bobcats" in reference to his own name.[65][66]
The Bobcats hired Bernie Bickerstaff as the first head coach and general manager in franchise history.[67] 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.
2004–2010: Return to Charlotte
editThe 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.[68] Two days later, they won their first game in franchise history over the Orlando Magic, 111–100.[69] On December 14, the Bobcats beat the New Orleans Hornets in overtime in the team's first trip to Charlotte since relocating.[70] The Bobcats finished their inaugural season 18–64.[71] Emeka Okafor, however, won the 2004–05 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.[72]
In the 2005 NBA draft, the Bobcats drafted Raymond Felton and Sean May from North Carolina.[73] 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.[74]
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.[67] The Bobcats won 11 of their last 19 games of Bickerstaff's tenure to finish their third season 33–49. On June 3, 2007, Charlotte Coliseum was demolished, marking a bitter end to the original Hornets era as it was the home of Charlotte's original NBA franchise. The arena was only 19 years old, owned by the city of Charlotte, but was already considered outdated because of a lack of luxury boxes and suites. The arena was designed for college basketball as part of Charlotte's push to maintain their presence in the ACC basketball tournament rotation.[75]
Front office and coaching were key focuses for the Bobcats during the 2007 off-season. Rod Higgins was hired as general manager,[76] and Sam Vincent was hired as the second head coach in franchise history.[77] 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 off-season moves, finishing the 2007–08 season with a 32–50 record. The team struggled amid rumors of players clashing with the coach.[78] After a year, during which he struggled with personnel decisions, Sam Vincent was fired in April 2008.[79]
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.[80] 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.[81]
During the off-season, 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.[82] 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.[83]
On April 9, 2010, the Bobcats clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 with a 104–103 road win over the New Orleans Hornets,[84] finishing the 2009–10 season with an overall record of 44–38, their 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 four games.[85]
2010–2014: Final years of the Bobcats
editDespite 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.[86] Paul Silas was hired as their new head coach the same day.[87] 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.[88] 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.[89] 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.[90]
In the lockout-shortened 2011–12 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.[91] St. John's assistant Mike Dunlap was named as his successor.[92]
Despite finishing the season with the worst record in NBA history, the Bobcats received the second overall pick.[93] With the second pick in the 2012 NBA draft, the Bobcats selected Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and selected Jeffery Taylor with the 31st pick.[94] 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.[95] 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.[96] The Bobcats would also obtain former Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson in free agency.[97] 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.[98] However, the Bobcats were swept in four games by defending champion Miami in the first round.[99]
2014–2020: Rise of Kemba Walker
editReturn of the Hornets
editOn 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.[100] 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.[101]
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.[102][103] The team officially unveiled its future logo and identity scheme during halftime of their December 21 game against the Jazz.[104] The team also started the "Buzz City" campaign to hype up the Hornets return.[105] On January 16, 2014, the Bobcats revealed new Hornets shirts, hats and gear.[106]
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 renamed New Orleans Pelicans, Charlotte acquired the history and records of the 1988–2002 Hornets (in a move similar to that of the National Football League'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][107][108] The Hornets are now retconned as having suspended operations from 2002 to 2004, while the Pelicans are considered a 2002 expansion team. Charlotte had already been using past footage of the original Hornets as part of the "Buzz City" campaign.
2014–2019: Playoffs and struggles
editIn 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.[109] 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.[110] 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.[111] A mostly difficult year led to a 33–49 record overall and a 4th-place finish in the division.[112] Stephenson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes who was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Courtney Lee.[113]
The following year, the team improved to 48–34 overall, following the acquisition of players such as Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, and Jeremy Lin.[114] It was the best season in franchise history since the original Hornets era. Charlotte returned to the playoffs, where they lost to the Heat in seven games in the first round.[115] Along the way, they defeated the Heat twice at Time Warner Cable Arena, the franchise's first playoff wins since the original Hornets era.
In the off-season, Jeremy Lin would go to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, Al Jefferson to the Indiana Pacers, and Courtney Lee to the New York Knicks, but the Hornets were able to re-sign Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams, as well as bring in former All-star Roy Hibbert, Marco Belinelli and Ramon Sessions for a second stint.[116][117] Hibbert would be traded mid-season to the Milwaukee Bucks with Spencer Hawes for center Miles Plumlee. Kemba Walker was named an Eastern Conference All-star as a reserve, the first all-star game of his career. The Hornets would finish the season with a 36–46 record, missing out on the playoffs.
The Hornets had a successful 2017 off-season. They shipped Plumlee and Belinelli and the 41st pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Atlanta Hawks for former All-star Dwight Howard and the 31st pick in the 2017 draft.[118] The trade reunited Howard with head coach Steve Clifford, both of whom worked together during Howard's time in Orlando and Los Angeles.[119] In the draft, Charlotte selected Malik Monk with the 11th overall pick, as well as Frank Jackson with the 31st pick.[120] They then sent Jackson to New Orleans for cash considerations and swing-man Dwayne Bacon who was drafted 40th overall. Sessions signed with the New York Knicks, and, to replace the backup guard, they brought in former rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams from the Chicago Bulls.[121]
In the 2017–18 season Kemba Walker was selected for his second NBA All-Star appearance and passed Dell Curry for most three-pointers and the all-time leading scorer. At the end of the 2017–18 season, the Hornets did not renew the contract of general manager Rich Cho. In April 2018, Mitch Kupchak was named as the new president of basketball operations and general manager.[122] On April 13, 2018, the Hornets fired head coach Steve Clifford after five seasons, who coached the team to a 196–214 record total,[123] and named James Borrego as his replacement on May 10.[124]
On July 23, 2018, Tony Parker, who spent the previous 17 years of his career with the San Antonio Spurs, signed with the Hornets.[125] In January 2019 Kemba Walker was named an All-Star Game starter for the Eastern Conference, his first starting role in an All-Star Game, and matched only Glen Rice for his third All-Star Game appearance in his Hornets career.[126] During the 2018–19 season, Charlotte finished the season with a 39–43 record finishing 2nd in the division and 9th in the Eastern Conference.
On June 20, 2019, the Hornets selected P. J. Washington with the twelfth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.[127]
On July 6, 2019, Kemba Walker joined the Boston Celtics through a sign-and-trade deal with the Hornets.[128]
2020–present: Lamelo Ball era
editOn November 18, 2020, the Hornets selected LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick.[129] The Hornets also drafted Vernon Carey Jr. and Grant Riller in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft.[130] On November 29, 2020, the Hornets would acquire Gordon Hayward in a sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics.[131] The Hornets finished the 2020–21 season 10th in the East with a 33–39 overall record.[132] On June 16, 2021, Ball was named 2020–21 NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the third player in franchise history to win the award.[133]
On February 7, 2022, Ball was named to his first NBA All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Kevin Durant.[134] The Hornets would clinch a spot in the play-in tournament for the second consecutive time although losing to fellow Southeast division foe the Atlanta Hawks 132–103.[135] On April 22, 2022, the Hornets fired head coach James Borrego after four seasons with the team.[136][137] The team finished the 2021–2022 season with a 43–39 overall record.[138]
On June 24, 2022, the Hornets named Steve Clifford as new head coach marking his second stint as the team's head coach.[139] During the off-season, notable additions included drafting Duke center Mark Williams with the 15th pick of the 2022 NBA draft and the free agent signing of point guard and North Carolina native Dennis Smith Jr.[140][141]
During the 2022–23 NBA season, the Hornets endured injuries to a majority of the roster, leading to a poor season which ended with a 27–55 record, the fourth worst in the league. Lamelo Ball only played 36 games. However, Mark Williams proved his immense potential.[142]
Courtesy of their poor finish, the Hornets won the second overall pick which they used to select Brandon Miller in the 2023 NBA draft.[143][144][145]
2023–present: New ownership and core
editOn June 16, 2023, Jordan announced he was selling his majority stake in the team to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall.[146] The transaction, sold at $3 billion, was approved by the NBA on July 23, 2023.[147]
On April 3, 2024 Steve Clifford announced he would step into an advisor role following a 21–61 season. He finished as the Hornets all time win leader.[148] On May 9, 2024, Celtics assistant Charles Lee was announced as his successor, receiving a 4-year deal.[149]
Brandon Miller had a successful rookie season, averaging 17 points per game and finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting despite a strong rookie class.[150] Lamelo Ball once again struggled with injury, only playing 22 games and Terry Rozier was dealt to Miami at the trade deadline for a pick and veteran guard Kyle Lowry.[151] Another addition was Grant Williams from the Dallas Mavericks, acquired in a trade for PJ Washington.[152] Gordon Hayward was also dealt away. After the season, former player Kemba Walker was hired to be assistant coach.
Logos and uniforms
editLogos
editThe Hornets' first logo was a teal and purple 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 Bobcats' primary logo from 2004 to 2012 consisted of a snarling orange bobcat facing to the right with the indented name 'Bobcats' above 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 2012 made the bobcat gray, extended the blue background up to the 'Charlotte' name, which changed from blue to orange. 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 2012 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.[104] 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.[104]
Uniforms
editOriginal Hornets
editThe 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.
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.
Bobcats
editThe Bobcats' first 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.[153] In the 2006 off-season, 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.[154] Racing Day blue alternates (with an arched 'Charlotte', checkered flag side stripes, and centered numbers) were 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. 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 featured 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.[155]
The Bobcats unveiled new uniforms on June 19, 2012, their second and final change in five years. Overall, they featured less emphasis on orange. The white home uniforms sported 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 bore a close resemblance to the Dallas Mavericks uniforms. The addition of Carolina blue was seen as way to connect owner Michael Jordan's collegiate roots, while the formal adoption of 'Cats' for marketing purposes reflected a popular nickname.[156]
Revived Hornets
editThe 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.[157]
On June 25, 2015, the Hornets unveiled a black sleeved alternate uniform, featuring their "Buzz City" nickname in front. The team wore the uniform for as many as six games during the 2015–16 NBA season.[158] It was also worn during select games of the 2016 NBA playoffs.
For the 2017–18 season and beyond, the Hornets have been outfitted by Nike's Air Jordan brand endorsed by franchise owner Michael Jordan. The white "Association" uniform and the teal "Icon" uniform feature the "Hornets" wordmark in front and the silhouetted hornet on the waistband.[159] The purple "Statement" uniform is similar to the "Icon" and "Association" uniforms, but feature the "Charlotte" wordmark in front.[160]
The Hornets revamped their purple "Statement" uniforms prior to the 2019–20 season. The front of the uniform featured the "CHA" acronym in bold white letters with teal trim, while teal "stinger" stripes accentuate the sides. The silhouetted Hornets logo was moved to the sides of the shorts while the partial logo was placed on the beltline.[161]
On August 31, 2020, the Hornets unveiled new uniforms that include double pinstriped jerseys that pay homage to the jerseys worn from 1997 until 2002. These are the first Hornets regular jerseys to include pinstripes since they wore them as the Bobcats from 2009 to 2012.[4]
Before the 2022–23 season, the Hornets again made slight changes to the purple "Statement" uniform. The uniform brought back the "Hornets" wordmark in front along with white numbers and teal cell accents on each side. The "C" alternate logo was added on the beltline and the alternate "curled hornet" logo was placed below the teal cells on the shorts.[162]
The Hornets' "City" uniforms were slight updates of Adidas' sleeved "Buzz City" uniforms. The 2017–18 version featured black letters with white trim on a black base and the sides featured a wing pattern of a hornet.[163] The 2018–19 version was slightly tweaked to feature teal lettering and a new logo reminiscent of the original Air Jordan "Wings" logo.[164]
The "City" uniform for the 2019–20 season moved away from the "Buzz City" concept and went with a cool grey base, purple, teal and black piping, "CHA" acronym in purple and white numbers with purple trim. A cell pattern adorned the sides.[165][166]
Charlotte's "City" uniform for the 2020–21 season paid homage to the city's history as the first to house a U.S. Branch Mint and the Carolina Gold Rush. The base color is mint and letters and numbers are in granite black with metallic gold trim. Pinstripes are in gold. It also brought back the "Buzz City" crest in front.[167] This theme was then revisited in their 2022–23 "City" uniform, this in granite black with "CLT" (Charlotte's main abbreviation) in gold with mint trim. Pinstripes alternate between gold and mint.[168]
For the 2021–22 season, the Hornets' "City" uniform visually mixed various elements from previous identities. The cursive "Charlotte" wordmark was inspired by the banners displayed during the franchise's 1988 uniform unveiling. The number placement on the left chest was reminiscent of the Bobcats' original uniforms. The purple cells recalled the court design used at the Charlotte Coliseum, and the teal gradient contained pinstripes, reminiscent of the uniforms worn from 1988 to 1997. The original "Hugo" logo was placed on the left leg, and the script "Hornets" wordmark was added to the right leg. Along the jock tag the Hornets added the "EST. 1988" sign acknowledging the team's inaugural year.[169]
In the 2023–24 season, the Hornets mixed both the "Buzz City" and Charlotte Mint themes for their "City" uniform. The design is a teal base with gold trim and mint side panels, with "Buzz City" in white with gold trim emblazoned in front.[170] The mint theme was revisited anew in the 2024–25 "City" uniform, this time using the white "Association" uniform as the basis of the design.[171]
The "Classic" edition featured a revival of the original Hornets pinstriped uniforms in the current Nike template. The teal version was used in the 2017–18 season,[172] followed by a white version in 2018–19, complete with an alternate court marking the 30th anniversary of NBA basketball in Charlotte.[173] For 2019–20, the Hornets wore purple versions of the pinstriped uniforms to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the uniform's unveiling.[174] For the 35th anniversary season in 2023–24, the Hornets wore the throwback double pinstriped teal uniforms with purple side stripes, which they wore from 1997 to 2002. However, the Classic Edition court was not used with the uniform.[175]
Season-by-season record
editList of the last five seasons completed by the Hornets. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Charlotte Hornets seasons.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage
Season | GP | W | L | W–L% | Finish | Playoffs |
2019–20 | 65 | 23 | 42 | .354 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
2020–21 | 72 | 33 | 39 | .458 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
2021–22 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
2022–23 | 82 | 27 | 55 | .329 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
2023–24 | 82 | 21 | 61 | .256 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
Arenas
edit- Charlotte Coliseum (1988–2002, 2004–2005)[176]
- Spectrum Center (2005–present) (known as Charlotte Bobcats Arena from 2005 to 2008 and Time Warner Cable Arena from 2008 to 2016)[177]
The Hornets played their first 15 seasons at the Charlotte Coliseum, which was called "The Hive" by fans. With over 23,000 seats, it was (and still remains) the largest basketball-specific venue in the league by seating capacity. The Coliseum hosted 371 consecutive NBA sell-outs (including seven playoff games) from December 1988 to November 1997.[178] The Hornets would go on to lead the NBA in attendance in eight of its first nine seasons. When Charlotte returned to the NBA 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 off-season and opened the new arena with a Rolling Stones concert. In April 2008, the Bobcats reached a naming rights deal with Time Warner Cable, North Carolina'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 (see below).[179][180] When the Hornets returned to Charlotte, "The Hive" nickname also returned to the arena. In August 2016, the arena was renamed the Spectrum Center after Time Warner's merger with Charter Communications and its Spectrum consumer/business branding.[181]
The Hornets practice at the Novant Health Training Center, located within the Spectrum Center. Previously the team practiced at the Grady Cole Center in the Elizabeth neighborhood before moving to a purpose-built facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina located beside Knights Castle; this facility is now known as The Pointe Arts and Recreation Center.
Personnel
editCurrent roster
editPlayers | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Retained draft rights
editThe 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 is not 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.[182] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
Draft | Round | Pick | Player | Pos. | Nationality | Current team | Note(s) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 2 | 51 | Tyler Harvey | G | United States | Illawarra Hawks (Australia) | Acquired from the Orlando Magic (via Memphis) | [183] |
Head coaches
editFranchise records, awards and honors
editFranchise leaders
editBold denotes still active with team. Italic denotes still active but not with team.
Regular season (as of the end of the 2023–24 season)
Most points scored | |
---|---|
Player | Points |
Kemba Walker | 12,009[184] |
Dell Curry | 9,839[185] |
Gerald Wallace | 7,437[186] |
Larry Johnson | 7,405[187] |
Terry Rozier | 5,974[188] |
Most rebounds | |
---|---|
Player | Rebounds |
Emeka Okafor | 3,516[189] |
Larry Johnson | 3,479[187] |
Gerald Wallace | 3,398 |
Cody Zeller | 2,824 |
Bismack Biyombo | 2,625[190] |
Most assists | |
---|---|
Player | Assists |
Muggsy Bogues | 5,557 |
Kemba Walker | 3,308 |
Raymond Felton | 2,573[191] |
David Wesley | 1,911 |
Baron Davis | 1,605[192] |
Most minutes played | |
---|---|
Player | Minutes |
Kemba Walker | 20,607 |
Muggsy Bogues | 19,768 |
Dell Curry | 17,613 |
Gerald Wallace | 16,718 |
Larry Johnson | 14,635 |
Most steals | |
---|---|
Player | Steals |
Muggsy Bogues | 1,067 |
Gerald Wallace | 827 |
Kemba Walker | 799 |
Dell Curry | 747 |
Raymond Felton | 565 |
Most blocks | |
---|---|
Player | Blocks |
Alonzo Mourning | 684 |
Emeka Okafor | 621 |
Bismack Biyombo | 607 |
Gerald Wallace | 531 |
Elden Campbell | 484 |
Individual awards
edit- Kendall Gill – 1991[193]
- Larry Johnson – 1992
- Alonzo Mourning – 1993[194]
- Emeka Okafor – 2005
- LaMelo Ball – 2021[195]
- Brandon Miller – 2024[196]
- Rex Chapman – 1989[197]
- J. R. Reid – 1990[198]
- Raymond Felton – 2006[199]
- Adam Morrison – 2007[200]
- Walter Herrmann – 2007[201]
- D. J. Augustin – 2009[202]
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – 2013[203]
- Cody Zeller – 2014[204]
- P. J. Washington – 2020[205]
- Larry Johnson – 1993
- Glen Rice – 1997
- Anthony Mason – 1997[206]
- Glen Rice – 1998
- Eddie Jones – 2000[207]
- Al Jefferson – 2014
- Kemba Walker – 2019
- Gerald Wallace – 2010
- Anthony Mason – 1997
- Eddie Jones – 1999, 2000
- P. J. Brown – 2001
- Larry Johnson – 1992[208]
- Emeka Okafor – 2005
- LaMelo Ball – 2021[209]
- Dell Curry – 1994
- Bob Bass – 1997
NBA All-Star Weekend
edit- Larry Johnson – 1993, 1995
- Alonzo Mourning – 1994, 1995
- Glen Rice – 1996, 1997, 1998
- Eddie Jones – 2000
- Baron Davis – 2002
- Gerald Wallace – 2010
- Kemba Walker – 2017, 2018, 2019
- LaMelo Ball – 2022
Retired numbers
editCharlotte Hornets retired numbers | ||||
No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
13 | Bobby Phills | G | 1997–2000 | February 9, 2000 |
- The Charlotte Hornets retired Phills' number on February 9, 2000, after his death 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 then displayed in the New Orleans Arena until 2013. On November 1, 2014, Phills' jersey was returned to Charlotte, where it was re-honored and currently hangs in the Spectrum Center.[212][213][214]
- The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.[215][216]
Basketball Hall of Famers
editCharlotte Hornets Hall of Famers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Players | ||||
No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
00 | Robert Parish[217] | C | 1994–1996 | 2003 |
33 | Alonzo Mourning[218] | C/F | 1992–1995 | 2014 |
12 | Vlade Divac[219] | C | 1996–1998 | 2019 |
9 | Tony Parker | G | 2018–2019 | 2023 |
Coaches | ||||
Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted | |
Larry Brown[220] | Head coach | 2008–2010 | 2002 |
FIBA Hall of Famers
editCharlotte Hornets Hall of Famers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Players | ||||
No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Inducted |
12 | Vlade Divac | C | 1996–1998 | 2010 |
33 | Alonzo Mourning | C/F | 1992–1995 | 2019 |
Mascot and cheerleaders
editHugo The Hornet is the current mascot of the franchise. Shortly after the news that Charlotte would get the Hornets name back, at halftime of a December 21, 2013, game between Charlotte and the Utah Jazz, Hugo was announced to return as the Charlotte Hornets' new mascot for the 2014–15 NBA season.[104]
From 2004 to 2014, Rufus D. Lynx was the mascot of the Bobcats.[221][222] 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.[223][224] Bleacher Report ranked Rufus as the 8th best mascot in the NBA.[225] Rufus D. Lynx is featured in NBA Jam 2010.[226] Rufus D. Lynx was officially retired following the conclusion of the 2013–14 NBA season, and the Hornets made him a farewell video in May 2014.[227] The updated Hugo was unveiled on an around the city tour on June 5, 2014.[228]
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.[229]
Media coverage
editFrom 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 Bally 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.[230]
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, now reintegrated to Bally Sports South) and sister network Sportsouth (renamed Fox Sports Southeast in 2015 and later Bally Sports Southeast in 2021) 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.[179] As of the 2020–21 season, Hornets games are carried by Bally Sports Southeast with Eric Collins and Dell Curry, along with in-game reporter and Hornets Live host Shannon Spake.[231] Former personnel include: Stephanie Ready, who worked as a sideline reporter and in-game analyst for the Hornets for a decade before moving to Turner Sports in 2018, and long time Hornets broadcaster Steve Martin, who retired after the 2017–18 season.[232]
For the team's first four seasons after their return to the league, 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-FM. 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
edit- ^ a b "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014.
- ^ "NBA.com/Stats–Charlotte Hornets seasons". Stats.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ "Franchise History–NBA Advanced Stats". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Rochinski, Matt (August 31, 2020). "Hornets Unveil New Association and Icon Edition Uniforms". Hornets.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ "Hornets unveil new uniforms for 2020-21 season". NBA.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
- ^ "A Sweet Deal! Hornets Sign Groundbreaking Jersey Patch Partnership With Youtube Icon MrBeast's Feastables Brand". Hornets.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 2, 2023. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ "Group Led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall Finalizes Purchase Of Majority Stake In Charlotte Hornets From Michael Jordan". Hornets.com. August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ Callihan, Schuyer (June 16, 2023). "Michael Jordan to Retain Minority Ownership Share of Hornets". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "J. Cole and Eric Church Part of Group Buying Michael Jordan's Charlotte Hornets Stake". Billboard. June 16, 2023. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Charlotte Bobcats Become NBA's 30th Team". www.nba.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Here's a timeline of Michael Jordan's ownership of the Charlotte Hornets". NBC Sports Chicago. June 17, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas". www.nba.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Jordan: Bobcats changing name to Hornets | NBA.com". NBA.com. June 8, 2013. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Spanberg, Erik (April 29, 2014). "End of an era: With Charlotte Bobcats out of the playoffs, Hornets return". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets assume historical records from New Pelicans". NBC Sports. May 20, 2014.
- ^ Wilson, Charlie (August 3, 2023). "Michael Jordan completes sale of NBA team Charlotte Hornets". The Mirror. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "Hornets sale from Michael Jordan to Gabe Plotkin, Rick Schnall finalized". ESPN.com. August 3, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Hank (October 18, 2022). "Report: Charlotte is the 8th fastest-growing city in the US". WCNC. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ Goldaper, Sam (July 18, 1974). "St. Louis in A.B. A. Signs Barnes". The New York Times. p. 41. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
- ^ "In a surprise announcement, the NBA's Board of Governors..." United Press International. April 22, 1987. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Brantley, Nicole (March 8, 2016). "The unclear origins of the hornet's nest symbolism". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
- ^ Creamer, Chris (July 14, 2014). "A closer look at the uniforms and logos of the 90s". theScore Inc. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Ryan (February 11, 2019). "The Making of a Classic: An Oral History of the OG Hornets Jerseys". Slam. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (February 15, 2019). "How Early Hornets Architect Carl Scheer Left a Lasting Legacy on All-Star Weekend". Charlotte Hornets. NBA. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Ex-NBA assistant Dick Harter dies". ESPN. Indianapolis. The Associated Press. March 14, 2022. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "1988 NBA Draft". Pro-Basketball Reference.Com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
- ^ "Cleveland Cavaliers 133, Charlotte Hornets 93". Basketball-reference.com. November 4, 1988. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ "Los Angeles Clippers 105, Charlotte Hornets 117". Basketball-reference.com. November 8, 1988. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- ^ Armstrong, Jennifer (March 14, 2009). "1988 Charlotte Hornets started off with a bang, became wildly popular with their fans". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 1989–1990 Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006. Retrieved February 5, 2006.
- ^ Menzer, Joe (October 29, 2014). "Bringing Back the Buzz: New Charlotte Hornets Aim to Match Magic of Old Hornets". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "1989-90 NBA Season Summary". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "1990-91 NBA Season Summary". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "1991 NBA Draft". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "NBA History - 1992 Awards". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "1991-92 NBA Season Summary". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "1992 NBA Draft". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (November 4, 2015). "Hornets Legend Alonzo Mourning to be Honored in Halftime Ceremony on February 5 Buzz City Night". Hornets.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Moran, Malcolm (May 6, 1993). "Hornets Oust Celtics in down-to-wire Style". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
- ^ "1992–93 Charlotte Hornets Roster and Stats". Basketball Reference.Com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ "1993-94 Charlotte Hornets Rosters and Stats". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 1994–1995 Summary". Pro-Basketball Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ Dillman, Lisa (May 5, 1995). "Hornets Can't Catch the Bulls at Four and Bow Out : NBA playoffs: Charlotte misses two last-second shots and Chicago advances with 85-84 victory". Los Angeles Times. Chicago. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Sam (November 4, 1995). "Mourning OFF To Miami". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ Hardin, Ed (April 21, 1996). "It's All Over For Bristow". Greensboro News & Record. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ Harper, Zach (April 4, 2016). "Kobe Bryant and the draft day trade that changed NBA history". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 1996–1997 Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2008.
- ^ "Pro Basketball; Bogues is Traded". The New York Times. November 8, 1997. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 1997–1998 Summary". Pro-Basketball Reference.Com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
- ^ "Lakers Acquire Rice from Hornets in Blockbuster Deal". WRAL.com. March 9, 1999. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Nowell, Paul (May 11, 1999). "Silas Signs Hornets' Dotted Line/ The Charlotte Hornets Rewarded Paul Silas Turnaround Of The Team with a contract to coach the team for Four Years". Greensboro News & Record. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Move To New Orleans Approved". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 10, 2002. Archived from the original on August 5, 2002. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Dispatch - Google News Archive Search". Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets (1988–2002)". SportsECyclopedia.com. February 28, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
- ^ "Belkin's potential ownership group includes Bird, Carr". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 19, 2002. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ "Bird, Carr thinking pro hoops in Charlotte?". USA Today. Associated Press. May 23, 2002. Archived from the original on February 12, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Hiestand, Michael (December 19, 2002). "Winning NBA bid just the start for Johnson". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Johnson will be NBA's first black majority owner". ESPN. December 17, 2002. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "NBA Board of Governors Approves Charlotte Expansion, Johnson as Owner". National Basketball Association. January 10, 2003. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- ^ "Robert L. Johnson Adds Nelly To Bobcats Ownership Team". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 19, 2004. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Windhorst, Brian (February 12, 2014). "Adam Silver: Seattle's hopes on hold". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 29, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "NBA Expansion Franchise To Be Named Charlotte Bobcats". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 11, 2003. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ a b Rovell, Darren (May 25, 2004). "The making of a name (and logo)". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Pincus, David (April 29, 2014). "A Fond Farewell to the Charlotte Bobcats, Who Will Soon No Longer Be the Bobcats". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
- ^ Zegers, Charlie. "Charlotte Bobcats: Profile". About.com Guide. New York Times Company. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Jordan: Bickerstaff won't return as coach". ESPN. March 14, 2007. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Magical night: Bobcats fall to Wizards in debut". ESPN. November 4, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "2 for 1: First win for Okafor, Bobcats vs. Magic". ESPN. November 6, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Cats protect their house in Charlotte in OT". ESPN. December 14, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "2004-05 Charlotte Bobcats Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Emeka Okafor Named 2004–05 NBA got milk? Rookie Of The Year". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 4, 2005. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Fryer, Jenna (June 29, 2005). "Bobcats take pair of Heels in draft". Star News Online. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Jordan to Become Part Owner of the Charlotte Bobcats". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on June 18, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Charlotte Coliseum scheduled for demolition". ESPN.com. June 1, 2007. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ "Rod Higgins Named Bobcats General Manager". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 31, 2007. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Bobcats New Era Begins With Vincent". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Bobcats fire Sam Vincent as coach after one season". USA Today. Associated Press. April 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Sam Vincent Relieved of Head Coaching Duties". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 26, 2008. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Bobcats Name Larry Brown Head Coach". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 29, 2008. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Mercer, Matt (May 24, 2009). "Bob Johnson Looks To Sell the Charlotte Bobcats". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Bobcats acquire Stephen Jackson and Acie Law from Warriors". Bobcats.com. November 16, 2009. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
- ^ "Michael Jordan reaches deal to buy NBA's Bobcats". CNN. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ "Nine defining moments in Charlotte Bobcats history". Sporting News. April 28, 2014. Archived from the original on December 25, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
- ^ "Magic overcome Howard's foul problems to book ticket for 2nd round with sweep". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ "Coach Larry Brown, Bobcats part ways". ESPN.com. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ "Paul Silas Named Interim Head Coach". Bobcats.com. December 22, 2010. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ^ "Gerald Wallace traded to Blazers". ESPN. Associated Press. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ "Bobcats hire ex-Blazers GM Rich Cho". ESPN.com. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
- ^ Anthony, Mike (June 23, 2011). "UConn's Kemba Walker Selected No.9 In NBA Draft by Charlotte Bobcats". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on January 12, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (April 30, 2012). "Charlotte Bobcats to part ways with head coach Paul Silas". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- ^ Brooks, Matt (June 19, 2012). "St. John's: Charlotte Bobcats hire Mike Dunlap as new head coach". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
- ^ "Hornets win lottery, land No. 1 overall pick". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ "Bobcats Select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with the Second Overall Pick in 2012 NBA Draft". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 29, 2012. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ "Charlotte Bobcats 2012–2013 Season Summary". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ "Bobcats select Cody Zeller With Fourth Pick in 2013 NBA Draft". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
- ^ "Al Jefferson officially joins Bobcats". ESPN.com. July 10, 2013. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
- ^ "Charlotte Bobcats 2013–2014 Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ Kelly, Joshua (April 28, 2014). "LeBron, Heat cruise by Bobcats to complete sweep". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
- ^ Phaler, Sean (May 21, 2013). "Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Applies to Change Team's Name to Hornets". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ Phaler, Sean (July 18, 2013). "The Buzz is Back: NBA Approves Bobcats Name Change to Hornets". Hornets.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
- ^ Phaler, Sean (November 24, 2013). "Purple and Teal Color Palette to Re-Join Hornets Name in Charlotte". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Bonnell, Rick (November 23, 2013). "Charlotte Hornets will bring back purple-and-teal colors". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Charlotte Hornets Brand Identity Unveiled". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. December 21, 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ Windhorst, Brian (July 19, 2013). "Charlotte Hornets back in 2014-15". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (January 16, 2014). "Bobcats unveil new 'Charlotte Hornets' logo shirts, hats and gear". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ "Bobcats officially become Hornets in Charlotte". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
- ^ "Hornets all the buzz in Charlotte". ESPN. Associated Press. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ "Hornets Select Noah Vonleh". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures LLC. June 26, 2014. Archived from the original on June 30, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
- ^ Jones, Jonathan (June 26, 2014). "NBA draft: UNC's PJ Hairston lands in Charlotte with Hornets". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ Kahsay, Jordan (October 24, 2008). "Hornets Sign Marvin Williams". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures LLC. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
- ^ "2014-15 Charlotte Hornets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
- ^ Fowler, Scott (August 7, 2016). "Hornets finally rid themselves of Lance Stephenson". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets Sign Free Agent Guard Jeremy Lin". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures LLC. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- ^ Rochinski, Matt (May 1, 2016). "Hornets Season Ends with Game 7 Loss in Miami". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ Mutoni, Marcel (July 5, 2016). "Hornets to Reportedly Sign Roy Hibbert to One-Year, $5 Million Deal". slamonline.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (July 7, 2016). "Hornets Acquire Marco Bellinelli from Sacramento". Charlotte Hornets. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ "Dwight Howard heads to Hornets after one season with hometown Hawks". ESPN. June 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (June 26, 2017). "Hornets Officially Welcome Dwight Howard". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
- ^ Page, Fletcher (June 23, 2017). "Charlotte Hornets draft Malik Monk at No.11 in NBA Draft". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Cato, Tim (July 1, 2017). "Michael Carter-Williams, Hornets agree to a 1-year, $2.7 million deal, per report". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (April 8, 2018). "Charlotte Hornets Name Mitch Kupchak President of Basketball Operations & General Manager". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Hornets Relieve Clifford of Head Coaching Duties". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 13, 2018. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ "Hornets Name James Borrego Head Coach". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 10, 2018. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ "Hornets Sign Free-Agent Guard Tony Parker". NBA.com. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ^ "Kemba Walker Named Starter for 2019 NBA All-Star Game". NBA.com. January 24, 2019. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ "Hornets draft Kentucky forward PJ Washington at No.12". ESPN. June 21, 2019. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Celtics Acquire Three-Time All-Star Kemba Walker". NBA.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^ "Hornets Select LaMelo Ball, Vernon Carey Jr and Grant Riller in 2020 NBA Draft". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures LLC. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ Reed, Steve (November 19, 2020). "Hornets draft LaMelo Ball with No.3 pick, add 2 big men". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 19, 2020.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets complete sign-and-trade with Boston Celtics to acquire Gordon Hayward". ESPN.com. November 29, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 2020–2021 Season summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "LaMelo Ball Named 2020–21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures LLC. June 16, 2021. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ "LaMelo Ball, Dejounte Murray named as injury replacements for 2022 All-Star Game". NBA.com. National Basketball Association. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
- ^ Boone, Roderick (April 14, 2022). "Trae Young gets best of the Hornets and LaMelo Ball as Hawks end Charlotte's season". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ Goldberg, Rob (April 25, 2022). "Report: James Borrego Was Fired by Hornets in Part Because of Player Discipline". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets fire coach James Borrego after 4 seasons". The Athletic. April 22, 2022. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 2021–2022 season summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Name Steve Clifford Head Coach". Charlotte Hornets. June 24, 2022. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ Boone, Roderick (June 24, 2022). "Hornets draft Mark Williams from Duke and trade another first round pick". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Sign Free Agent Dennis Smith Jr". Charlotte Hornets. September 23, 2022. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ Boone, Roderick (April 9, 2023). "After a difficult injury-ravaged season, here are five reasons the Hornets' future may be bright". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets to Pick Second In 2023 NBA Draft". Hornets.com. May 16, 2023. Archived from the original on June 18, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Boone, Roderick (June 23, 2023). "NBA Draft: Charlotte Hornets select Brandon Miller at No.2". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on June 25, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Select Brandon Miller With Second Overall Pick in 2023 NBA Draft". Hornets.com. June 23, 2023. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Jordan sells majority stake of Hornets". The Charlotte Observer. June 16, 2023.
- ^ Maloney, Jack. "Hornets sale approved: Michael Jordan's 13-year run as NBA team owner ends, per report". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ "Hornets coach Steve Clifford to step down as overhaul continues after Michael Jordan's departure". CBS Sports. April 3, 2023.
- ^ "Charles Lee agrees to 4-year deal as Hornets coach, sources say". ESPN. May 9, 2024.
- ^ "Hornets forward Brandon Miller finishes 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting". WCNC Charlotte. May 6, 2024.
- ^ "Heat acquire Rozier from Hornets for Lowry, pick". ESPN.com. January 23, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Mavs get Gafford, Washington in separate trades". ESPN.com. February 8, 2024. Retrieved November 5, 2024.
- ^ "Bobcats Unveil New Team Uniforms". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 21, 2004. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ "Blue Steel: Bobcats Unveil New Alternate Road Uniform". SportsBusinessJournal.com. Leaders Group. August 17, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ "Bobcats to Honor Charlotte's First Pro Basketball Team, The Carolina Cougars". Bobcats.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 27, 2012. Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
- ^ Creamer, Chris (June 19, 2012). "Charlotte (Bob)cats Unveil New Uniforms". news.sportslogos.net. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Unveil New Uniforms". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 19, 2014. Archived from the original on June 22, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (June 25, 2015). "Charlotte Hornets Unveil Sleeved Alternate "PRIDE" Uniform". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (July 31, 2017). "Hornets Unveil First Two Uniforms for 2017-18 Season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (September 15, 2017). "Hornets Unveil Statement Uniform For 2017-18 Season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- ^ Perley, Sam (September 29, 2019). "Hornets Add New Purple Statement Threads to Uniform Rotation". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ "Hornets show off new Statement Edition uniform, court for 2022-23". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 15, 2022. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (December 27, 2017). "Hornets Unveil New Jordan Brand "Buzz City" Uniform". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
- ^ "Hornets Unveil 2018-19 City Edition Uniforms". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 1, 2018. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (November 22, 2019). "Hornets Unveil New, Cool Gray City Edition Uniform". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ "Hornets unveil City Edition uniforms". Hornets.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 22, 2019. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- ^ "Hornets unveil new City Edition uniform for 2020-21 season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 14, 2020. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 22/23 City Edition Uniform: Gold Rush". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 10, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets Unveil 2021-22 Nike NBA City Edition Uniform". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 1, 2021. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 2023-24 City Edition Uniform: Buzz City Gold Rush". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 2, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets 2024-25 City Edition Uniform: The final minted chapter". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ "Hornets Unveil Classic Uniform for 2017-18 Season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 13, 2017. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (July 25, 2018). "Hornets Unveil New White Classic Uniform For 2018-19 Season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (August 20, 2019). "Hornets Unveil New Purple Classic Uniforms For 2019-20 Season". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ "Hornets unveil new Classic Edition uniforms for 2023-24". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 24, 2023. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
- ^ "The BOplex: Home of Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium". boplex.com. Bojangles Entertainment Complex. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Spectrum Center Charlotte Homepage". spectrum centercharlotte.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets – 30th Anniversary Season". Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "Bobcats, Time Warner Cable, Fox Sports Strike Unprecedented Deal" (Press release). Charlotte Bobcats. April 8, 2008. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
- ^ "AP: Time Warner gets naming rights for Bobcats Arena". USA Today. Associated Press. April 7, 2008. Archived from the original on June 26, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ Wash, Quinton (August 17, 2016). "Charlotte Hornets Announce Arena To Be Renamed "Spectrum Center"". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ Coon, Larry. "NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement". Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA.
- ^ "Hornets Acquire Wes Iwundu and Protected 2022 First-Round Pick in Three-Team Sign-and-Trade". NBA.com. August 7, 2021. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Kemba Walker Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Dell Curry Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Gerald Wallace Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "Larry Johnson Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Terry Rozier Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Emeka Okafor Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Bismack Biyombo Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Raymond Felton Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Baron Davis Statistics". Basketball-Reference.Com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Kendall Gill Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "Alonzo Mourning Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
- ^ "LaMelo Ball Named to 2020-21 All-Rookie First Team". Charlotte Hornets. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Brandon Miller Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
- ^ "Rex Chapman Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "J.R. Reid Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ "Raymond Felton Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Adam Morrison Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Walter Herrmann Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "D.J. Augustin Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Cody Zeller Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "P.J. Washington Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Anthony Mason Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Eddie Jones Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Larry Johnson Named NBA Rookie of the Year". United Press International. May 12, 1992. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ Stein, Marc (June 16, 2021). "Charlotte's LaMelo Ball Named NBA's Rookie of the Year". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets All-Star Game Selections". Basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^ Wash, Quinton. "Glen Rice Shines on a Starry Night in Cleveland". Charlotte Hornets. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets to Bring Phills' Retired Jersey Back to Charlotte". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 23, 2014. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ "Phills' No. 13 jersey raised again in Charlotte". USA Today. Associated Press. November 1, 2014. Archived from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets re-hang Bobby Phills' jersey Saturday night". WGHP Fox 8. November 2, 2014. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ "Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA". NBA.com. August 11, 2022. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ Golliver, Ben (August 11, 2022). "NBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No. 6". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "Robert Parish". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Alonzo Mourning". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Vlade Divac". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Larry Brown". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ "Rufus Lynx Player Page". Bobcats.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 20, 2011. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Dorsey, Jesse (March 2, 2012). "12 NBA Mascots That Make Children Cry". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Jolley, Justin (March 3, 2012). "NBA Mascots Breaks World Record!". Mascotinsider.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ "NBA's All-Star Jam Session scores string of world records". Guinness World Records. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Benjamin, Josh (October 28, 2011). "Ranking All 30 NBA Mascots from Worst to First". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
- ^ Good, Owen (September 14, 2010). "Your NBA Jam Rosters Are Set". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ Weinrib, Ben (May 16, 2014). "Video: Charlotte Bobcats mascot Rufus 'retiring'". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
- ^ "A Hornet Comes Home". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
- ^ "The Honey Bees". Charlotte Hornets. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Sports News, Video & Photos". Foxsportscarolinas.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2012.
- ^ "Bally Sports Southeast to televise all 82 Charlotte Hornets games for 2021-22 NBA season". Ballysports.com. Bally Sports. September 22, 2021. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Hornets Broadcaster Steve Martin To Retire At End of 2017-18 Season". Charlotte Hornets. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.