Charlotte Hornets 2022: News, Schedule, Roster, Score, Injury Report

The Charlotte Hornets compete in the NBA as a part of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference. Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan is the controlling owner of the franchise. 

As for their logo, the Charlotte Hornets have very much visualized it to suit their team’s name. Grabbing the center of attention is a teal and dark purple hornet with a vicious stinger on its body.

The team’s name is fitted in bold font on the hornet’s body, while a basketball pattern can be seen attached to the insect’s stinger. 

Furthermore, the Charlotte Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center. This has been their home arena since the 2005/06 NBA season and the multi-purpose arena can hold up to 19,000 fans during NBA games. 

Who owns the Charlotte Hornets?

Hall of Famer Michael Jordan showcased massive interest in buying the team in the 2000s as he is a native of North Carolina, the state where the Hornets are based. After purchasing minority stakes, Jordan then expanded his interests by purchasing a 97% stake in the team for a whopping $180 million in 2010. 

The sale was approved and Michael Jordan became the controlling owner of the Charlotte Hornets, much to the delight of his fans. Jordan’s investment in the Hornets is earning him juicy dividends by the year. 

Even though the team is not placed too potently, their value as a franchise has been on the rise. Forbes estimates the Hornets’ value at $1.5 billion, a meteoric rise since Jordan’s purchase. 

Also Read: Why did Michael Jordan Buy The Charlotte Hornets? Price, Estimated Worth and More

Head Coach and Top Executives 

James Borrego is the current Head Coach of the Charlotte Hornets. He replaced Steve Clifford and took over the role in 2018 to become the 11th head coach in franchise history. Prior to taking the Hornets job, Borrego served as the assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic. 

Borrego enjoyed a good first season with the Hornets and is expected to guide the team past the regular-season in the upcoming years. The New Mexico native is also a 2x NBA champion, with both victories coming during his stint with the Spurs as their assistant coach. 

NBA Legend Mitch Kupchak serves as the General Manager and President of the Charlotte Hornets franchise. Kupchak was taken into the role considering his massive experience in performing an executive’s role. 

Kupchak most famously served as the Los Angeles Lakers’ GM during their dominant run in the 2000s decade. Thus, Michael Jordan hired him in 2018 to work with the Hornets.

History

The Charlotte Hornets were initially established in 1988 as an expansion team by the NBA. The initial years were a bit of a struggle, but the Hornets gained playoff status in their fifth year in the league. They famously beat the Celtics in the 1993 postseason, but were knocked out in the subsequent series. 

Similar results followed for the Hornets franchise, with stars like Dell Curry, Alonzo Mourning, Kendall Gill. However, the team’s principal owner George Shinn relocated the franchise to New Orleans, after which they had to remove the Charlotte tag. 

However, the NBA also brought in a new expansion team in 2004, which was then called “Charlotte Bobcats.” The Bobcats were then officially recognized as Charlotte’s official team, but they failed to deliver the results. 

In their ten-year history where the franchise played as the Bobcats, they only made two playoff appearances. The team had athletes like Garrett Temple, Stephen Jackson playing for them, but finishing in the playoff spot proved to be a demanding task. 

Michael Jordan took over ownership duties, and good news followed shortly. The Hornets name was returned to the franchise after New Orleans wanted to rebrand themselves as the Pelicans. One of the brightest draft picks the franchise made was the signing of Kemba Walker in 2011.

Walker went down as the 9th overall pick and spent eight years with the team. He made three All-Star appearances while playing for the Hornets, one of the very few Charlotte players to receive the honor. 

Charlotte Hornets: Mascot and Uniform

The franchise gave birth to an enjoyable new mascot to excite their fans way back in 1988. “Hugo the Hornet” or just “Hugo” is a brightly dressed Hornet who entertains fans at their home games. 

His moniker was selected by a poll that involved more than 6,000 suggestions. To add to his honor, Hugo is a 4x champion of the NBA Mascot Slam Dunk championship. 

As for their uniforms, the Hornets’ primary colors of teal, dark purple, gray, and white dominate their jerseys. For the 2019/20 season, the team wore white “Association” uniforms and teal “Icon” uniforms, and purple “Statement” Uniforms. 

Team’s Sponsors 

Online lending marketplace Lendingtree is the main sponsor of the Charlotte Hornets. The company is also the official jersey sponsor of the franchise, and they mutually agreed on a three-year extension in 2020. 

Besides Lendingtree, the Hornets have tie-ups with several other companies. ExxonMobil, Domino’s Pizza, ParkMobile are some other sponsors of the Charlotte Hornets. 

History and Achievements 

Charlotte Hornets 2021-22 roster