Charlotte Hornets are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The Hornets play their games in the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
A team called the Charlotte Hornets began play in the 1988-1989 season. That team moved to New Orleans for the 2002-2003 season. It changed its name to the Pelicans in 2013.
Today’s Hornets entered the NBA as the Charlotte Bobcats, an expansion team for the 2004-2005 season. Charlotte forward Emeka Okafor was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the season. In the 2009-2010 season, Charlotte made the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The team changed its name to the Charlotte Hornets beginning with the 2014-2015 season. Top players for the Bobcats and Hornets have included forward Gerald Wallace and guard Kemba Walker. Guard LaMelo Ball won the league’s Rookie of the Year award for his play during the 2020-2021 season. Former NBA star Michael Jordan was the team’s majority owner from 2010 to 2023.
