60 Fun Facts About Charlotte Hornets

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

It opened in 2005 as Charlotte Bobcats Arena and became Time Warner Cable Arena in 2008 before the 2016 renaming.

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

They joined alongside Miami that season, with Minnesota and Orlando following a year later.

Who was the founding owner who brought the Hornets to Charlotte in 1988?

An entrepreneur from Kannapolis, Shinn's declining popularity in the city was blamed for the attendance collapse before the 2002 move.

Which name was originally planned for the 1988 expansion team before a contest produced 'Hornets'?

The 'Hornets' name traces to Cornwallis calling the rebellious city 'a hornet's nest' during the Revolutionary War.

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

He supposedly called Charlotte 'a hornet's nest of rebellion', though the phrase is first attested in 1819.

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

His teal pinstriped design set off a sports fashion craze and was the first NBA uniform with pinstripes.

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

Home whites had pinstripes in teal, green, blue and purple, and both home and road jerseys read 'Charlotte'.

Which colour did the Hornets choose as their primary colour, sparking a late-1980s sports fashion craze?

Teal was later paired with purple, and the palette returned when the Bobcats became the Hornets again in 2014.

Who was the Hornets' first head coach in 1988?

Players rebelled against his defence-first style and he was replaced by Gene Littles after an 8–32 start in year two.

Which team handed the Hornets a 133–93 defeat in their first-ever NBA game on November 4, 1988?

Four days later Charlotte beat the Clippers 117–105 for its first win.

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

The streak ran from December 1988 to November 1997 and the team led the NBA in attendance eight times in nine seasons.

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

With more than 23,000 seats, the Coliseum remains the largest basketball-specific venue ever used full-time by an NBA team.

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

'Grandmama' was later traded to the Knicks for Anthony Mason in 1996.

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

His 20-footer in Game 4 of the 1993 first round beat Boston for the franchise's first playoff series win.

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

They were then beaten in five games by the Knicks in the second round.

Which sharpshooter came to Charlotte from Miami in the 1995 trade of the Hornets' star centre?

He had the best season of his career in 1996–97, when the Hornets went 54–28.

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

Divac helped Charlotte to a then-franchise-best 54 wins, but the pick they gave up went on to win five titles in Los Angeles.

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

He was traded two games into the 1997–98 season, and David Wesley took over at the point.

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

His jersey hung in New Orleans during the relocation years and was returned to Charlotte in November 2014.

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

He resigned midway through the lockout season and was replaced by another ex-Celtic, Paul Silas.

To which city did the original Hornets relocate in 2002?

That team is now the Pelicans; Charlotte reclaimed the 1988–2002 records when the Bobcats became the Hornets in 2014.

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

His group paid a $300 million expansion fee; rapper Nelly was a co-owner.

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

Jay-Z, by contrast, held a stake in the Nets during the same era.

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

It was seen as abstract and too reminiscent of the aerial strikes of the then-current Iraq War.

Which UConn centre did the Bobcats draft second overall in 2004 and win Rookie of the Year?

He was later traded to New Orleans for Tyson Chandler in 2009.

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

He became majority owner in 2010, the first former NBA player to control a franchise, and sold control in 2023.

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

That 44–38 season was the Bobcats' first winning year; Orlando swept them in the first round.

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

'Crash' made the 2010 team and was traded to Portland the following season.

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

Their .106 percentage undercut even the 9–73 1972–73 76ers, who still hold the record for most losses.

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

The streak finally ended in the 2012–13 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?

Despite the worst record ever, the lottery balls dropped them to second, behind New Orleans's Anthony Davis pick.

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

The rebrand was unanimously approved by the Board of Governors in July 2013.

Since the 2014 records transfer, when are the Pelicans deemed to have joined the NBA?

The arrangement mirrored the NFL's handling of the Cleveland Browns' 1999 return.

What was the name of the Bobcats' mascot from 2004 to 2014?

The name plays on the bobcat's scientific name, Lynx rufus; the character was retired with a farewell video in 2014.

What is the name of the Hornets' mascot, brought back in 2014?

He originally rode the beltline of the 1994 purple alternate uniforms and later moved to the left leg.

What are the Hornets' cheerleaders called?

During the Bobcats years the squad was known as the Lady Cats.

Which sneaker brand, endorsed by the team's then-owner, has outfitted the Hornets since 2017–18?

Charlotte is the only NBA team wearing the Jumpman rather than the swoosh on its uniforms.

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

The design also nods to the Carolina Gold Rush, with pinstripes in gold.

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 also entered the NBA in 1988?

Miami has dominated the series and eliminated Charlotte in the 2014 and 2016 playoffs.

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

He became an All-Star in 2022 as an injury replacement for Kevin Durant.

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

He played one season in Charlotte before retiring in 2019 as a four-time champion.

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

He averaged 17 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?

Buyers Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall took over; Jordan kept a minority share.

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

He was replaced by Celtics assistant Charles Lee.

Through 2025-26, the Hornets were the only NBA franchise never to have won what?

Through 2025-26 they also shared with New Orleans the distinction of never having reached a conference finals.

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

Despite its size, it lacked luxury boxes and suites and was considered outdated.

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

The Bobcats then opened their arena with an overtime win over Boston.

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

Curry's number was retired by the Hornets in March 2026; his son Stephen is the NBA's all-time three-point leader.

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

The Hornets went 26–56 that year and Gene Littles was fired at season's end.

The Bobcats' checkered-flag 'Racing Day' uniforms honoured Charlotte's fans of which sport?

Charlotte Motor Speedway and most NASCAR teams are based in the region.

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

He arrived the same off-season LaMelo Ball was drafted third overall; the team finished 10th in the East at 33–39.

Which former Hornets All-Star guard became a player enhancement coach after the 2023–24 season?

He returned to the organisation the same off-season Steve Clifford stepped into an advisor role after a 21–61 campaign.

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

He succeeded Steve Clifford, who had just finished as the franchise's all-time wins leader.

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

In exchange the company tore up a restrictive TV deal that had limited the team's exposure over its first four years; the building later became the Spectrum Center.

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

He kept the GM role even after Michael Jordan bought in as head of basketball operations in 2006, but was let go as coach in 2007.

In 1996 the Hornets sent Larry Johnson to the Knicks for which power forward?

He averaged a double-double in his first Charlotte season as the retooled team went 54–28, its best record to that point.

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

He was the fifth head coach in franchise history when he replaced Dave Cowens, and was rehired the very day Larry Brown stepped down.

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

The NBA approved the $3 billion sale on July 23, 2023, and Jordan retained a minority share.