The momentum was building and the All-Star Game was a national introduction. The Hornets won 20 games in year one, 21 in year two, 26 in year three and hosted the 1991 NBA All-Star Game. Eventually, the Hornets would sell out 364 consecutive games, essentially nine consecutive seasons. It hosted its final NBA basketball game on October 26, 2005, a preseason game between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Indiana Pacers.Įven though they weren’t great, the Hornets were a surprise success in their first season, leading the NBA in attendance (something they would achieve seven times during 14 years in Charlotte). The Coliseum hosted 371 consecutive NBA sell-outs from December 1988 to November 1997, which includes seven playoff games. The Charlotte Hornets stadium was initially the Charlotte Coliseum aka “The Hive.” Charlotte Hornets Stadium on opening night in 1988.īut when the franchise was re-launched, they moved to the Spectrum Center in downtown Charlotte. The Charlotte Hornets were established in 1988 via the expansion draft, which saw them build the squad around Kelly Tripuka, Dell Curry, Rex Chapman and 5-3 Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history. Just look at this Charlotte Hornets Starter jacket: When New Orleans became the Pelicans, it cleared the way for the Charlotte Hornets to return to the NBA.Įven though the Hornets never won a title, never even advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs, they were a cultural phenomenon thanks to huge personalities and the coolest jerseys in NBA history. In the mid-nineties, there was no cooler team in any sport than the Charlotte Hornets.
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