History of the Charlotte Hornets
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The history of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets dates to 1985 when founder George Shinn first thought of bringing professional basketball to Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets commenced play as an expansion team in 1988. After fourteen seasons under its original ownership, the franchise suspended operations in 2002 when Shinn transferred the basketball organization under his control to a new franchise in New Orleans. The Charlotte franchise was subsequently acquired, reactivated and renamed the Bobcats by Robert L. Johnson. After restocking its roster through their second expansion draft, the team resumed play in 2004. Johnson sold controlling interest to Hall of Fame legend and North Carolinian native Michael Jordan in 2010. Jordan, who restored the club's original name in 2014, sold the team to a group led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin in 2023.
1985–1988: The NBA comes to Charlotte
In 1985, the NBA, with 23 teams, was planning to expand by four teams by the 1988–89 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. The Atlantic Coast Conference's four North Carolina teams had very large and very loyal fan bases in the region, as did local teams UNC Charlotte, Davidson, and Johnson C. Smith. 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.
Some critics doubted that Charlotte, then mostly known for banking, could support an NBA team; one Sacramento Bee columnist joked, "The only franchise Charlotte is going to get is one with Golden Arches."[1] However, Shinn's ace in the hole was the Charlotte Coliseum, a state-of-the-art arena under construction that would seat almost 24,000 spectators – the largest basketball-specific arena to serve as a full-time home for an NBA team. On April 5, 1987, NBA Commissioner David Stern called Shinn to award the NBA's 24th franchise, to begin play in 1988. Franchises were also granted to Miami, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Orlando.[2] Playing heavily on the area's support of college basketball, the new team ran billboards in the area saying, "Bringing the NBA to Basketball Country!"
Originally, the team was intended to be named the Charlotte Spirit, but a name-the-team contest yielded "Hornets" as the winning choice. That name was derived from the city's fierce resistance to British occupation during the Revolutionary War, which prompted the British commander, Lord Cornwallis, to refer to it as "a veritable hornet's nest of rebellion".[3][4] The name had been used for previous Charlotte sports teams, including a minor league baseball team from 1901 to 1972, and a World Football League team that played there from 1974 to 1975. In addition the Charlotte 49ers and Davidson Wildcats of the NCAA play annually for the Hornets' Nest Trophy.
The team received attention when it chose teal as its primary color, setting off a sports fashion craze in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with many pro and amateur clubs soon following with teal in their color schemes. The team's uniforms were designed by international designer and North Carolina native Alexander Julian, and featured a first for NBA uniforms—pinstripes.[5] Similar designs by the Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers followed soon after.
Shinn hired Carl Scheer, a longtime NBA executive, as the team's first general manager.[6] Scheer sought a roster of veteran players, hoping to put together a competitive team as soon as possible, with a goal of making the playoffs in five years. 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.[7] The team also had three draft picks at the 1988 NBA draft.[8]
1988–1992: Early seasons
In their inaugural season the Hornets were led by ex-Pistons guard Kelly Tripucka, who provided instant offense and was Charlotte's top scorer for the franchise's first two seasons. Other notable players included sharpshooting rookie (and first draft selection) Rex Chapman, a long-distance scoring threat, and floor general Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history at 5'3". The Hornets' first NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the Charlotte Coliseum, and was a 133–93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[9] The opening night lineup included Tripucka, Kurt Rambis, Dave Hoppen, Robert Reid, and Rickey Green. Four days later, the team notched their first victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105.[10] On December 14, in a win over the Indiana Pacers, Tripucka scored 40 points. Tripucka would score 40 points twice more that season. On December 23, 1988, the Hornets really gave their fans something to cheer about, beating Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 103–101 at the buzzer in Jordan's professional debut in North Carolina.[11] Muggsy Bogues set a club record on April 23, handing out 19 assists in a game against the Boston Celtics. The Hornets finished their inaugural season with a record of 20 wins and 62 losses.[12]
Despite concerns that the Coliseum was too big, the Hornets were a runaway hit in their first season, leading the NBA in attendance, a feat they would achieve seven more times in Charlotte. Eventually, the Hornets would sell out 364 consecutive games—almost nine consecutive seasons.[13]
The Hornets' second season was a struggle from start to finish. The team lost their first five games before defeating the Orlando Magic in the first meeting between the two franchises. Members of the team rebelled against Dick Harter's defense-oriented style, and he was replaced mid-season by assistant Gene Littles following a dismal 8–32 start. Despite the change, the team continued to struggle during the second half, suffering through a 3–31 stretch from January through March. In the end, the team took a step backwards, finishing the season with a disappointing 19–63 record – one game worse than their previous season.[14]
In the 1990 NBA draft, the Hornets selected guard Kendall Gill with the 5th overall pick.[15] The team showed improvement during the 1990–91 season. They won eight of their first 15 games, including a 120–105 victory over the Washington Bullets.[16] However, the team went cold, losing their next 11 games and falling to 8–18. The Hornets, who hosted the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, finished their third season with a 26–56 record.[17] Despite the team's seven-game improvement over the previous season, Gene Littles was fired and replaced by general manager Allan Bristow.[18]
1992–1995: Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning era
1991–92 season: Drafting Larry Johnson
With the first pick in the 1991 NBA draft, the Hornets drafted power forward Larry Johnson from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.[19] Johnson had an impact season, finishing among the league leaders in points and rebounds, and winning the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.[20] Additionally, Guard Kendall Gill led the club in scoring, averaging over 20 points per game.[21] The team stayed in contention for a playoff spot until March, but in the end, they finished the season with a record of 31–51.[22] Despite continuing to improve, the Hornets failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
1992–1994: Drafting Alonzo Mourning and first playoff appearance
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.[23] The Hornets 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.[24] 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.[25] However, the Hornets lacked the experience and depth to defeat the New York Knicks, falling in five games in the second round.[26]
The Hornets finished the 1993–94 season with a 41–41 record, narrowly missing the playoffs.[27] Despite injuries to both Johnson and Mourning, the two led the team in points-per-game.[28] The following season, the Hornets finished the regular season with 50 wins and 32 losses, and returned to the playoffs.[29] Johnson and Mourning again led the team in points-per-game, while also leading the club in rebounding.[30] However, Charlotte was bounced from the playoffs in the first round, falling to the Chicago Bulls in four games.[31]
1995–1998: Glen Rice era
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The Johnson–Mourning era came to an end as the Hornets traded Mourning to the Miami Heat for forward Glen Rice, center Matt Geiger, and guard Khalid Reeves.[32] 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.[33] 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 during the season, again finishing with a 41–41 record.[34] Bristow resigned at the end of the season, and was replaced by NBA legend Dave Cowens.[35]
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. They acquired center Vlade Divac from the Los Angeles Lakers for the rights to Kobe Bryant, who the Hornets picked 13th in the draft.[36][37] 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 with 54 victories compared to only 28 losses, and making it back to the playoffs.[38] Rice finishing third in the league in scoring, earning all-NBA second team honors, and was also the All-Star Game MVP, setting several scoring records.[39] Despite the success during the regular season, the Hornets went down rather meekly to the Knicks in three straight games.[40]
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.[41][42][43] With Wesley, Phills, Rice, Mason, and Divac, the Hornets romped through the regular season, finishing with a 51–31 record;[44] Rice had another good season, as he finished sixth in league scoring and earned all-NBA third team honors.[45][46] The Hornets made it to back-to-back playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and advanced to the second round, only to again be stopped by the Bulls.[47][48]
1998–2002: Final years of the original Hornets
The 1998–99 season was turbulent. The season didn't start until February, as the lockout shortened the regular season to only 50 games.[49] Glen Rice was traded to the Lakers for Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell,[50] and Dave Cowens resigned midway through the season, with the highest winning percentage among Hornets head coaches.[51] He was replaced by former Celtics teammate Paul Silas, who became the franchise's fifth head coach. The team finished the season with a 26–24 record, but failed to qualify for the playoffs.[52]
The 1999–2000 season saw a return to prominence, with the addition of point guard Baron Davis, the third overall draft pick.[53] The Hornets tore through much of the season, but tragedy struck on January 12, 2000, when fan favorite and top reserve Bobby Phills was killed in an automobile accident.[54] The Hornets retired his No. 13 on February 9, 2000 (The jersey would be re-hang again when the Hornets returned to Charlotte).[55] After finishing with a 49–33 record,[56] the team returned to the playoffs, where they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.[57] The season, however, was overshadowed by events off the court. The team's popularity had begun to sag due to fan discontent with owner George Shinn's personnel moves; he had reportedly traded Mourning and other stars out of an unwillingness to pay market value. Additionally, Michael Jordan, a North Carolina native, began negotiations to become part-owner, but talks collapsed when Shinn refused to grant Jordan control over basketball operations.[58] Because of this, season attendance dropped to eleventh in the league.
In the 2000–01 season, with the additions of Jamal Mashburn and P.J. Brown,[59] the Hornets managed to return to the playoffs, finishing with a 46–36 record.[60] While they upset the third-seeded Heat in the first round and made it to the conference semifinals for the third time in franchise history,[61] they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.[62] Despite continuing to play well, their popularity continued to fall, with the team finishing 21st in the league in attendance.
The Hornets returned to the playoffs the following season, finishing the regular season at 44–38.[63] After defeating the Orlando Magic in the first round,[64] they were upended by the New Jersey Nets in five games in the Conference Semifinals.[65] The team finished twenty-ninth (last) in the league in attendance, a stark contrast to their earlier years in Charlotte. Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved a deal for the team to move to New Orleans following the season.[66]
2002–2003: Relocation to New Orleans
Many attributed the Hornets lapse in popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s to the team's owner, George Shinn, who was slowly becoming hated by the fans.[67] In 1997, a Charlotte woman claimed that Shinn had raped her, and the subsequent trial severely tarnished his reputation.[68] The consensus was that while Charlotte was as basketball-crazy as ever, fans took out their anger at Shinn on the team. Shinn was also discontented with the Charlotte Coliseum, which, although considered state-of-the-art when it opened in 1988, had a limited number of luxury boxes.[69] On March 26, 2001, both the Hornets and the Vancouver Grizzlies applied for relocation to Memphis, Tennessee,[70] which was ultimately won by the Grizzlies. Shinn issued an ultimatum: unless the city built a new arena at no cost to him, the Hornets would leave town. The city initially refused, leading Shinn to consider moving the team to either Norfolk, Louisville, or St. Louis.[71][72]
Of the cities in the running, only St. Louis had an NBA-ready arena (Savvis Center, now known as the Enterprise Center) already in place and was a larger media market than Charlotte at the time; also, it was the only one of the four to have a previously had hosted an NBA franchise — the St. Louis Hawks (who moved to Atlanta in 1968). However, Savvis Center was eventually ruled out in large part because it already hosted a National Hockey League team whose primary tenants (the St. Louis Blues) were guaranteed priority for scheduling even if an NBA team moved there. Also, at the time St. Louis already had teams in both of the other two "Big Four" major professional sports leagues — the market was smaller than any other at the time with teams in all four except for Denver, which has proven able to support four teams due to its relative isolation from other major sports markets.
Finally, a new arena in Uptown, which would eventually become the Charlotte Bobcats Arena (later to become Time Warner Cable Arena and now known as the Spectrum Center), was included in a non-binding referendum for a larger arts-related package, and Shinn withdrew his application to move the team. Polls showed the referendum on its way to passage. However, just days before the referendum, Mayor Pat McCrory vetoed a living wage ordinance. The veto prompted many of the city's black ministers to oppose the referendum. They felt it was immoral for the city to build a new arena when city employees weren't paid enough to make a living.[73] After the referendum failed, city leaders devised a plan to build a new arena that did not require voter support, but made it known that they would not consider building it unless Shinn sold the team. While even the NBA acknowledged that Shinn had alienated fans, league officials felt such a demand would anger other owners as it could set a precedent.[74]
The city council refused to remove the statement, leading the Hornets to request a move to New Orleans – a move which would eventually return pro basketball to the city after the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. The NBA approved the move and as part of the deal, as well as to avoid a Cleveland Browns-like lawsuit, the NBA promised that Charlotte would get a new expansion franchise, although unlike the arrangement agreed to in 1996 by the NFL for Cleveland, the NBA also agreed at the time to allow Shinn to relocate the extant Hornets' franchise, name, history and records to New Orleans.
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