Charlotte Bobcats

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Charlotte Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team owned by George Shinn. In 2002, Shinn moved the franchise to New Orleans, where they began play as the New Orleans Hornets, later rebranding as the Pelicans in 2013. The team would return as an expansion team, known as the Charlotte Bobcats, in the 2004–05 NBA season. 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. In 2013, following the rebranding of the New Orleans Hornets to the Pelicans, the Bobcats announced they would begin playing as the Charlotte Hornets in the 2014–15 season, along with reclaiming the history and official records of the original Charlotte Hornets, statistically making the Hornets one continuous NBA team. In August 2023, Jordan sold his majority stake in the Hornets to a group of investors led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. He retained a minority share in the ownership of the team. As of 2026, the Hornets are the only NBA franchise to have never won a division title, and one of two franchises alongside the New Orleans Pelicans to have never advanced to the conference finals. (Note: The Pelicans franchise, as the New Orleans Hornets, did reach the conference finals in 2008.)

In Their Own Story

The timeline of the Bobcats was bookended by ownership changes and a historic identity shift. In August 2023, Jordan sold his majority stake to an investor group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, though he retained a minority share. While the source does not detail specific game moments or player performances for the Bobcats era itself, it establishes the franchise's trajectory from its 2004–05 inception through the 2013 announcement to reclaim the Hornets name. The story is one of transition: starting as a new expansion team in 2004, evolving under Jordan's leadership beginning in 2006, and ultimately merging with the legacy of the original 1988 franchise to become the Charlotte Hornets again.

Reader's Guide

The Hornets' first NBA game took place on November 4, 1988 at the Charlotte Coliseum, where they lost 133–93 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Four days later, the team notched its first-ever victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105. 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. The Hornets finished their inaugural season with a record of 20–62. Scheer left prior to the 1989–90 season. Despite initial concerns that the Coliseum was too big, the Hornets were a runaway hit, leading the NBA in attendance, a feat they would achieve seven more times in Charlotte. Eventually, the Hornets would sell out 364 consecutive games. The Hornets' second season was a struggle from start to finish. Members of the team rebelled against Dick Harter's defense-oriented style, and he was replaced mid-season by assistant Gene Littles following an 8–32 start. Despite the change, the team continued to struggle, finishing the season with a disappointing 19–63 record. The team showed improvement during the following season. They won eight of their first fifteen games, including a 120–105 victory over the Washington Bullets. However, the team went cold, losing their next eleven games. The Hornets, who hosted the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, finished with a 26–56 record. Despite the team's seven-game improvement over the previous season, Gene Littles was fired at the end of the season and replaced by general manager Allan Bristow. With the first pick in the 1991 NBA draft, the Hornets drafted power forward Larry Johnson from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Johnson had an impact season, finishing among the league leaders in points and rebounds, and winning the 1992 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Additionally, Guard Kendall Gill led the club in scoring, averaging over 20 points per game. The team stayed in contention for a playoff spot until March, but finished the year with a 31–51 record. The Hornets were in the lottery again in 1992 and won the second overall pick in the draft, using it to select Georgetown center Alonzo Mourning. Charlotte now had two 20–10 threats in Johnson and Mourning, who with Kendall Gill, formed perhaps the league's top young trio. The team finished their fifth season at 44–38, their first-ever winning record and good enough for the first playoff berth in franchis

Did You Know?

• The Hornets' name originates from British General Cornwallis, who allegedly described Charlotte as 'a hornet's nest of rebellion' following the Battle of Charlotte in 1780.
• The team's original uniforms, designed by Alexander Julian, featured pin stripes, a first for NBA uniforms.
• The Hornets led the NBA in attendance in their inaugural season and would sell out 364 consecutive games.
• As of 2026, the Hornets are the only NBA franchise to have never won a division title.