Hornets
HornetsCharlotte Hornets Betting Stats
The Charlotte Hornets have a mixed legacy as an NBA team. On one hand, the franchise was highly popular in the 1990s, with stars like Larry Johnson leading the Hornets’ team stats. On the other, this franchise has not achieved anything in the NBA and has had difficulties retaining its superstar players.
The most notable thing about the Hornets in recent years is that it’s owned by Michael Jordan. Other than that, the Hornets are typically bet against on the NBA odds and rarely make the playoffs.
General Information
Conference & Division
- Founded: 1988
- Conference: Eastern
- Division: Southeast
City: Charlotte, North Carolina
Stadium: Spectrum Center
Championships & Titles
Years:
- None
Charlotte Hornets All-Time Records
Most points all-time:
- Kemba Walker, 12,009
Most rebounds all-time:
- Emeka Okafor, 3,516
Most assists all-time:
- Muggsy Bogues, 5,557
Most steals all-time:
- Muggsy Bogues, 1,067
Most blocks all-time:
- Alonzo Mourning, 684
Most wins all-time (coach):
- Allan Bristow, 207
Charlotte Hornets Stats & Team History
The Hornets entered the NBA at the start of the 1988-89 season. Like its fellow expansion teams, the team stunk and managed no more than 26 wins in its first three seasons. Its fortunes changed in 1991, when Charlotte won the NBA Draft Lottery and selected Larry Johnson with the first overall pick.
Johnson won Rookie of the Year. The following season, the Hornets selected Alonzo Mourning with the second overall pick. Together, Johnson and Mourning led the Hornets to its first postseason appearance in 1993. Charlotte upset the aging Celtics before losing to the Knicks in the semifinals.
However, Johnson and Mourning couldn’t coexist. In 1995, the Hornets traded the latter to Miami for a package that included Glen Rice. The following season, Charlotte sent Johnson to the Knicks for Anthony Mason.
With Rice as the team’s star player, the Hornets had consecutive 50-win seasons and advanced to the semifinals. However, as with most of their stars, Rice was traded away in 1999.
The Hornets acquired the likes of Eddie Jones, Jamal Mashburn, and Baron Davis while remaining a NBA playoffs team, albeit never advancing past the semifinals. However, the team’s popularity declined dramatically thanks to owner George Shinn’s highly-publicized sexual assault trial.
The team was quickly relocated to New Orleans. But to avoid a Browns-like lawsuit, the NBA awarded a new franchise to Charlotte, the Bobcats. But unlike the Hornets, the Bobcats failed to gain any sort of popularity partly because the team was badly managed. Jordan purchased the team in 2010 following one of their two playoff appearances.
The Bobcats remained a miserable team and even set an NBA record with the lowest winning percentage in a season at 10.6 percent (7-59). Ultimately, Charlotte was able to acquire talented players like Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, and became respectable.
In 2013, Charlotte reacquired the “Hornets” name and rebranded as the Charlotte Hornets at the start of the 2014-15 season. The following season, Charlotte returned to the playoffs and won its first playoff game since 2001. However, the team lost to the Heat in seven games in the first round.
While Walker continued to lead the Charlotte Hornets’ team stats, he left the team in 2019. Charlotte drafted LaMelo Ball in 2020. He has since become the new face of the franchise, as the team continues to make improvements.
