The Charlotte Hornets are a franchise with a passionate fan base and a history marked by exciting players, relocations, and rebuilding efforts. Established in 1988 as an expansion team, the Hornets quickly became one of the NBA’s most popular teams in the 1990s due to their unique teal and purple branding and electrifying style of play.
The early Hornets teams featured stars like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Muggsy Bogues, who helped the franchise become a playoff contender in the mid-1990s. The team had memorable postseason battles, including a dramatic buzzer-beater by Mourning to defeat the Boston Celtics in 1993. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, players like Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn kept the team competitive, but the franchise’s future in Charlotte became uncertain.
In 2002, the team relocated to New Orleans, leaving Charlotte without an NBA team. However, the league awarded the city a new expansion franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, in 2004. Struggling for success, the Bobcats only made one playoff appearance before reclaiming the Hornets name in 2014 after the New Orleans franchise rebranded as the Pelicans.
Since regaining their historic identity, the Hornets have been in a cycle of rebuilding, with brief playoff appearances but no deep postseason runs. In recent years, young stars like LaMelo Ball have given the franchise hope for the future. Despite their struggles, the Hornets remain a beloved team in North Carolina, backed by a devoted fan base and ownership that includes NBA legend Michael Jordan, who sold his majority stake in 2023.
As they continue to build through the draft and player development, the Hornets aim to become a consistent contender and bring playoff success back to Charlotte.