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Original Charlotte Hornets are Created
In 1985, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams by the 1988–1989 season, later modified to include a total of four expansion teams. George Shinn, an entrepreneur from Kannapolis, wanted to bring an NBA team to the Charlotte area. On April 5, 1987, then-NBA Commissioner David Stern called George Shinn to tell him his group had been awarded the 24th NBA franchise, to begin play in 1988. Franchises were also granted to Miami, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Orlando. -
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Era 1
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Charlotte Hornets First Season and Loss of Carl Scheer first President and General Manager
Former college coach and veteran NBA assistant Dick Harter was hired as the team's first head coach. The team notched its first-ever victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105. On December 23, 1988, the Hornets really gave their fans something to cheer about, beating 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 -
Glen Rice 1995-1998 First "Superstar Hornets Player"
Glen Rice would make an immediate impact after joining the Hornets, leading the team in scoring and points-per-game during the 1995–96 season. The Hornets were competitive but failed to qualify for the playoffs, again finishing with a 41–41 record. The 1998 season was also successful. Muggsy Bogues was traded two games into the season. The Hornets romped through the regular season, finishing with a 51–31 record. The Hornets made it to back-to-back playoffs for the first time in their history. -
Move to New Orlean, Creation of the Bobcats and the first Black Owner
Shortly after the relocation of the team to New Orleans, the NBA opened itself to the possibility of adding a replacement team in Charlotte for the 2005 season. In December of 2002, Robert Johnson was awarded the franchise, allowing him to become the first African American owner in U.S. major professional sports since the Negro leagues. Given Charlotte was already home to a cat-named team designer Chris Weiller made sure to create a logo that would not be similar to the Panthers logo. Bobcats! -
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Era 2
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Michael Jordan buys the Bobcats
On February 27, 2010, it was announced that Johnson had decided to sell the team to Jordan, allowing Jordan to become the first former NBA player to become the owner of a franchise. On April 9, 2010, the Bobcats clinched their first playoff berth since 2002 with a win over the New Orleans Hornets, finishing the 2009–10 season with an overall record of 44–38, their first ever winning season. Gerald Wallace was a huge factor in the playoff run as he became the Bobcats first and only NBA All-Star. -
Return of the Charlotte Hornets and drafting of Kemba Walker
During the 2011 NBA draft the Bobcats drafted Kemba Walker, the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. On May 21, 2013, Jordan officially announced the organization had submitted an application to change the name of the franchise to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season. The NBA announced, on July 18, 2013, that it had unanimously approved the rebranding, which would begin upon the conclusion of the 2013–14 season. The following year, the team improved to 48–34 overall. -
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Era 3
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Kemba Leaves the Hornets and the New Era
On July 6, 2019, Kemba Walker joined the Boston Celtics through a sign-and-trade deal with the Hornets. Kemba Walker was a 4-time NBA all star with the Hornets and is thought to be one of the greatest Hornets players of all time. On November 18, 2020, the Hornets selected LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick. On November 29, 2020, the Hornets would acquire Gordon Hayward in a sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics. This is thought to be the start of the new Charlotte Hornets era. -
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Era 4