60 Fun Facts About Charlotte Hornets

What name did the Hornets' uptown Charlotte arena take in 2016?

Spectrum Center took its name from Charter Communications' consumer brand after Charter absorbed the arena's previous naming-rights sponsor; the building had opened in 2005 as Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

In which year did the original Charlotte Hornets begin play as an NBA expansion team?

The Hornets played their first game in November 1988 as one of two expansion clubs added that season, and finished their debut year 20–62.

Who was the founding owner who brought the Hornets to Charlotte?

George Shinn, a Kannapolis-born entrepreneur who made his fortune running business colleges, won the expansion franchise and owned the club through its move away from Charlotte.

Which name was originally planned for the expansion team before a contest produced 'Hornets'?

The club was to be called the Charlotte Spirit until a fan name-the-team contest chose 'Hornets', a nod to the city's Revolutionary War nickname.

The 'Hornets' name comes from a remark by which British general after the 1780 Battle of Charlotte?

Cornwallis, whose army briefly occupied Charlotte in 1780, is said to have called the town 'a hornet's nest of rebellion', and the nickname stuck.

Which North Carolina-born fashion designer created the original Hornets uniforms?

Alexander Julian, a Chapel Hill native behind the Colours menswear label, later gave North Carolina's Tar Heels their argyle basketball uniforms as well.

What design feature did the original Hornets uniforms bring to the NBA for the first time?

Pinstripes had never appeared on an NBA uniform until the Hornets' debut set; the Orlando Magic adopted their own pinstripes the following season.

Which colour did the Hornets choose as their primary colour, sparking a sports fashion craze?

Teal, paired with purple from the club's first season, became the hottest colour in sports merchandise and was restored when the Hornets name returned to Charlotte.

Who was the Hornets' first head coach?

Dick Harter, a defence-first coach, clashed with his players and was fired 40 games into the second season with an 8–32 record.

Which team handed the Hornets a 133–93 defeat in their first-ever NBA game?

The Cleveland Cavaliers, then a rising team built around Brad Daugherty and Mark Price, routed the expansion Hornets in their debut; Charlotte won its first game four days later.

How many consecutive home games did the original Hornets sell out at the Charlotte Coliseum?

The run of 364 sellouts began during the Hornets' first season and ended early in 1997–98, filling the cavernous Coliseum night after night for nearly nine years.

What fan nickname for the Charlotte Coliseum was later revived for the Hornets' new arena?

The Hive was the fans' name for the cavernous Coliseum, and the nickname was revived for the club's uptown arena after the Hornets name returned.

Which UNLV forward did the Hornets draft first overall in 1991, then Rookie of the Year?

Larry Johnson, taken first overall out of UNLV, won Rookie of the Year in 1992 and played the dunking 'Grandmama' in Converse commercials.

Which Georgetown centre did the Hornets select second overall in 1992?

Alonzo Mourning averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocks as a rookie, runner-up to Shaquille O'Neal for Rookie of the Year, and was an All-Star by 1994.

The Hornets' first-ever playoff series win in 1993 came against which team?

The Hornets beat the Boston Celtics 3–1 in the 1993 first round, clinching on a last-second jumper in Game 4, then fell to the Knicks in five.

Which sharpshooter did the Hornets receive in the 1995 trade of their star centre?

Glen Rice averaged a career-high 26.8 points in 1996–97, won that season's All-Star Game MVP and finished third in league MVP voting.

On draft night 1996, the Hornets traded which 13th overall pick to the Lakers for Vlade Divac?

Kobe Bryant, drafted straight out of Lower Merion High School, was dealt for Vlade Divac before ever wearing a Hornets jersey and won five titles with the Lakers.

Which 5-foot-3 guard, the shortest NBA player ever, ran the Hornets' offense in the 1990s?

Muggsy Bogues, taken from the Bullets in the expansion draft, spent ten seasons in Charlotte and set the franchise career assists record.

The Hornets retired the number of which guard after his death in a car accident in Charlotte in 2000?

Bobby Phills, a defensive specialist in his third Hornets season, died aged 30 while racing a teammate home from practice; his No. 13 was retired the following month.

Which ex-Celtics big man coached the Hornets to their best original-era season, 54–28 in 1996–97?

Dave Cowens, a Hall of Fame centre and 1973 league MVP, took over in 1996 and guided the Hornets to 54 wins before resigning early in the 1999 lockout season.

To which city did the original Hornets relocate in 2002?

New Orleans took in the Hornets after attendance collapsed in Charlotte; that franchise was renamed the Pelicans in 2013 and later handed the original Hornets' history back to Charlotte.

Which BET founder became the first Black majority owner in modern US major pro sports with the 2002 Charlotte franchise?

Robert L. Johnson, who built Black Entertainment Television into a cable giant, paid a $300 million expansion fee for the franchise that debuted as the Bobcats in 2004.

Which hip-hop artist was a notable co-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats?

Nelly, the St. Louis rapper behind 'Hot in Herre', was a minority partner in the Bobcats' original ownership group.

Which name actually won the 2003 fan vote to name Charlotte's new team, only to be rejected by ownership?

Flight, a nod to North Carolina's place in aviation history, topped the 2003 fan poll, but ownership overruled the result and chose Bobcats instead.

Which UConn centre, drafted second overall by the Bobcats in 2004, won Rookie of the Year?

Emeka Okafor, fresh from leading Connecticut to the 2004 NCAA title, averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 rebounds in the expansion Bobcats' first season to win Rookie of the Year.

In which year did the Hornets' future majority owner, a Hall of Famer, first buy a minority stake?

Michael Jordan first bought into the Bobcats in 2006, taking charge of basketball operations, and became majority owner four years later, the first former player to control an NBA franchise.

Which Hall of Fame coach took over the Bobcats in 2008 and led them to their first playoff berth in 2010?

Larry Brown, the first coach to win both an NCAA and an NBA title, guided the 2009–10 Bobcats to 44 wins and the franchise's first playoff trip, a sweep by Orlando.

Who was the only player to make an All-Star team while the franchise was called the Bobcats?

Gerald Wallace, nicknamed 'Crash' for his reckless hustle, made the 2010 All-Star team and was traded to Portland the following season.

What was the Bobcats' record in 2011–12, the worst winning percentage the NBA had seen?

The 7–59 finish in the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season gave the Bobcats a .106 winning percentage, below the 9–73 1972–73 76ers' .110.

How many consecutive games did the Bobcats lose to close the 2011–12 season?

The Bobcats lost their final 23 games of 2011–12, a streak that ended only in the next season's opener with a win over Indiana.

Which UConn guard, the 2011 NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player, did the Bobcats draft ninth overall?

He became the franchise's all-time leading scorer and a three-time All-Star before a 2019 sign-and-trade to Boston.

Whom did the Bobcats select second overall in 2012, the draft after their record-worst season?

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a freshman on Kentucky's 2012 national champions, went second after the lottery denied the Bobcats the top pick despite the league's worst record.

In which season did the Bobcats officially become the Charlotte Hornets again?

The 2014–15 season opened with the Hornets name back in Charlotte after the league's owners unanimously approved the rebrand in July 2013.

Which UCLA guard did the Hornets draft third overall in 1999?

Baron Davis, taken third out of UCLA, became an All-Star with the Hornets and moved with the club when it left Charlotte.

What was the name of the Bobcats' mascot?

Rufus D. Lynx took his name from the bobcat's scientific name, Lynx rufus, and was retired when the Bobcats era ended.

What is the name of the Hornets' mascot?

Hugo the Hornet debuted with the original franchise in its first season and returned with the name; his acrobatic dunking alter ego is Super Hugo.

What are the Hornets' cheerleaders called?

The Honey Bees dance team performs at Hornets home games; during the Bobcats years the squad was known as the Lady Cats.

Which sneaker brand became the Hornets' uniform maker in 2017–18?

Air Jordan, Nike's Jordan Brand line named for the Hornets' then-owner, put its Jumpman logo on Charlotte's uniforms from 2017–18, making it the one NBA team without a swoosh.

The Hornets' 2020–21 'City' uniforms honour Charlotte's history as home to the first US branch of what?

The U.S. Mint opened a Charlotte branch in the 1830s to coin gold from the Carolina gold rush, and those City uniforms used mint green and gold to match.

Which nickname did the Hornets put on their black sleeved alternate uniforms in 2015?

The 'Buzz City' campaign had been used to hype the return of the Hornets name.

Which team is considered the Hornets' 'expansion sister', having entered the NBA the same season?

The Miami Heat and the Hornets entered together, a year before Orlando and Minnesota; the Heat later beat Charlotte in a seven-game first-round series in 2016.

Which 2020 third overall pick became the third Rookie of the Year in Hornets history?

LaMelo Ball, the youngest of the three Ball brothers, averaged 15.7 points as a rookie in 2020–21 and made the All-Star team the next season as an injury replacement.

Which 17-season Spurs legend signed with the Hornets in 2018 for his final NBA season?

Tony Parker, a four-time champion with San Antonio, played his 18th and final season in Charlotte in 2018–19 before retiring.

Which Alabama forward did the Hornets draft second overall in 2023?

Brandon Miller, the 2023 SEC Player of the Year at Alabama, averaged 17.3 points as a rookie and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.

For roughly how much did the Hornets' Hall of Fame majority owner sell his controlling stake in 2023?

The $3 billion valuation was roughly 17 times the $175 million Michael Jordan had paid for control in 2010; he kept a minority stake in the club.

Which coach finished as the Hornets' all-time wins leader when he stepped aside in 2024 after two stints?

Steve Clifford, who took the club to the playoffs twice in his first stint, ended his second as the franchise's winningest coach and moved into a front-office advisory role.

Who coached the Hornets to their first two playoff appearances, in 1993 and 1995?

Allan Bristow coached the Hornets for five seasons in the early and mid-1990s, reaching the playoffs in 1993 and 1995 before the club replaced him in 1996.

The Charlotte Coliseum, home of the original Hornets, was demolished in 2007 at what age?

19 years after opening for the Hornets' first season, the Coliseum, which had no luxury suites, was imploded in June 2007 and its site redeveloped.

Which act opened the new Charlotte arena in 2005 before the Bobcats played there?

The Rolling Stones played the arena's first event in October 2005 on their A Bigger Bang tour, two weeks before the Bobcats' home opener.

Which 1990s Hornets sharpshooter held the franchise scoring and three-point records until 2017–18?

Dell Curry, an original Hornet from the expansion draft, won the 1994 Sixth Man of the Year award in ten Charlotte seasons; his son Stephen became the NBA's career three-point leader.

Charlotte hosted the NBA All-Star Game in which season of the original Hornets' early years?

The 1991 All-Star Game at the Charlotte Coliseum drew a capacity crowd, and Charles Barkley took MVP honours as the East won 116–114.

Which Kentucky guard was the expansion Hornets' first-ever college draft pick?

Rex Chapman, a Kentucky guard known for his leaping, was the expansion Hornets' first draft choice, taken eighth overall, and averaged 16.9 points as a rookie.

Which forward did the Hornets acquire from the Boston Celtics in a November 2020 sign-and-trade?

Gordon Hayward signed a four-year, $120 million deal to come to Charlotte and averaged 19.6 points in his first season, when the Hornets reached the play-in.

Which centre earned All-NBA Third Team honours in the Bobcats' final season?

Al Jefferson averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 2013–14, earned All-NBA Third Team honours and led the Bobcats back to the playoffs in their final season.

Which Celtics assistant was announced as Hornets head coach on May 9, 2024, on a four-year deal?

Charles Lee, a Joe Mazzulla assistant on the 2024 NBA champions, finished that title run before taking over in Charlotte, his first head-coaching job.

Which company bought naming rights to the Bobcats' arena in April 2008?

Time Warner Cable put its name on the building in April 2008, replacing the 'Charlotte Bobcats Arena' branding the team had used since the venue opened in 2005.

Who served as the Bobcats' first head coach and general manager when the franchise launched in 2004?

Bernie Bickerstaff, previously head coach in Seattle, Denver and Washington, coached the expansion Bobcats for three seasons and doubled as general manager before Sam Vincent replaced him on the bench.

In 1996 the Hornets traded their former No. 1 pick to the Knicks for which forward?

Anthony Mason, the Knicks' bruising forward, averaged 16.2 points and 11.4 rebounds in his first Charlotte season and made the All-NBA Third Team in 1997.

Which coach ran both the original Hornets from 1998 and the Bobcats from 2010?

Paul Silas, the franchise's fifth head coach, took the Hornets to the playoffs in each of his three full seasons before returning to lead the Bobcats in December 2010.

Which two investors led the group that bought Michael Jordan's majority stake in 2023?

Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, a hedge-fund manager and a private-equity executive who already held minority NBA stakes, became the Hornets' co-chairmen after the 2023 sale.