George Shinn

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Shinn's troubles in Charlotte began when a woman filed a rape allegation against him in 1997, damaging his reputation. Attendance fell, and Shinn became discontented with the Charlotte Coliseum, which he considered obsolete due to a limited number of luxury boxes. On March 26, 2001, the Hornets applied for relocation to Memphis, but the Grizzlies won that city. Shinn then issued an ultimatum: build a new arena at no cost to him, or the team would leave. After a failed referendum and a city council demand that he sell the team, Shinn requested a move to New Orleans, which the NBA approved. In a 2008 interview with The Charlotte Observer, Shinn admitted that the "bad judgment I made in my life" played a role in the Hornets' departure. He also said, "I've made enough mistakes in my life. I'm not going to make one here. This city needs us here. We're going to make this (New Orleans) thing work."

In Their Own Story

The Hornets opened their inaugural season in New Orleans on October 30, 2002, against the Utah Jazz. In the first regular season NBA game played in New Orleans in over 17 years, the Hornets won 100–75. During halftime, the team posthumously retired #7 of "Pistol" Pete Maravich. The team finished 47–35 but lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the 2003 playoffs. After Hurricane Katrina devastated southeastern Louisiana in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, posting records of 38–44 and 39–43. During this time, the team was known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, playing most home games at the Ford Center. The franchise returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season, with all 41 home games at the New Orleans Arena.

Reader's Guide

Shinn's ownership era is tied directly to the New Orleans Arena (now Smoothie King Center). The team's first two seasons in New Orleans were played in the Eastern Conference, but the 2004–05 season saw the team move to the Western Conference's Southwest Division to even the conferences after the Charlotte Bobcats started play. That season, injuries to the team's three all-stars led to a franchise-worst record of 18–64. In the subsequent draft, the Hornets selected point guard Chris Paul out of Wake Forest University. The 2007–08 season saw the Hornets win their first division title, the Southwest Division, with a 56–26 record. They beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2008 playoffs but lost to the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the conference semifinals. Shinn sold the team in 2012, and in 2013 the Hornets announced they would change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Did You Know?

• Shinn moved the Hornets to New Orleans after a failed referendum to build a new arena in Charlotte, which was opposed by African American ministers after Mayor Pat McCrory vetoed a living wage ordinance.
• In 2001, the Hornets and the Vancouver Grizzlies both applied for relocation to Memphis, but the Grizzlies won the bid.
• Shinn admitted in a 2008 interview that his 'bad judgment' played a role in the Hornets' departure from Charlotte.
• The Hornets' first game in New Orleans was against the Utah Jazz, the city's original NBA franchise, and the team retired Pete Maravich's #7 jersey at halftime.
• Shinn's team temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons after Hurricane Katrina, playing as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.