New Orleans Hornets Era

Lore & Background

George Shinn led the group that secured Charlotte's original NBA franchise. The team became one of the league's attendance leaders and first reached the playoffs in 1993. Led at different points by Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, and Baron Davis, the Hornets made seven playoff appearances between 1993 and 2002. Arena disputes and declining attendance preceded the team's relocation after the 2001–02 season. A group led by Robert L. Johnson was awarded Charlotte's new expansion franchise in 2002. The Bobcats reached the playoffs in 2010, and Michael Jordan became the team's majority owner in 2010. After the Hornets name was restored, Charlotte returned to the playoffs in 2016; Kemba Walker became the franchise's career scoring leader in 2018, and LaMelo Ball won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2021. Jordan sold his majority interest to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall in 2023.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the New Orleans Arena is thick with humidity and anticipation. It's late October, just months after the storm, and the hardwood floor feels foreign under the sneakers of a team trying to rebuild its soul. Chris Paul dribbles up the court, the roar of the crowd echoing off the temporary walls, a sound that hasn't been heard in this city for too long. He drives past two defenders, the rim looking impossibly high before he launches a floater that swishes cleanly through the net. For a moment, the pain of the hurricane fades, replaced by the simple, unifying joy of a basketball game played with heart.

Reader's Guide

The original Hornets began play in 1988. They led the NBA in attendance in their first season and sold out 364 consecutive games. The team made the playoffs in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002. After relocating to New Orleans in 2002, the Charlotte Bobcats began play in 2004. The Bobcats reached the playoffs in 2010 and 2014. In 2014, the Bobcats became the Hornets and inherited the 1988–2002 history. The restored Hornets made the playoffs in 2016. Key players include Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice, Baron Davis, Kemba Walker, and LaMelo Ball.

Did You Know?

• The Hornets name was derived from Charlotte's fierce resistance to British occupation during the Revolutionary War, which prompted Lord Cornwallis to call it 'a veritable hornet's nest of rebellion.'
• The original Hornets chose teal as their primary color, setting off a sports fashion craze in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
• The team's uniforms were designed by Alexander Julian and featured pinstripes, a first for NBA uniforms.
• The original Hornets set an expansion team attendance record in their first season and eventually sold out 364 consecutive games.