Is this the Year the Buzz Comes Back?
After winning the first trophy in the organization’s history and some decent preseason performances, is this the year the Hornets win back Charlotte’s hearts?
The Charlotte Hornets are part of the ethos of the Queen City.
Tyvola Road. The Hive. Dell. Muggsy. Rex Chapman. Hugo (and Super Hugo). Grandmama. Zo. Family Matters. Dream Team II. Glen Rice. #13 RIP. The Cable Box. Bob-Johnson-cats. Crash. Jordan. Kemba. LaMelo.
Hell, even Nic Batum. From the transit center uptown to cultural artifacts across the city, the combination of teal and purple screams Charlotte.
Sure, the original Hornets left town in the wake of original owner George Shinn’s scandals, even as the Sting hung around. Then basketball came back to life as the Charlotte Bobcats (Okafor in ‘04!), and it was frustrating to say the least — the team never won a playoff game while wearing Bobcats orange.
The team finally reclaimed the Hornets name, records and history when Michael Jordan and the NBA brought back the buzz in 2014, thanks in no small part to brothers Evan and Scotty Kent and their fan-led campaign. Soon enough, with Kemba Walker at the helm, the team won its first playoff game since the original Hornets left.
Since then, aside from LaMelo Ball’s Rookie of the Year Award-winning season, the team has been in the wilderness. The Hornets haven’t had a playoff appearance in a decade. Ball and Miles Bridges made headlines off the court for all the wrong reasons.
Fast forward to this summer, when a strong draft class led Charlotte to their first-ever title.
With the Hornets’ regular season set to tip off at home on Wednesday night, we asked around: Is it time for Charlotte to bee-lieve again?
“[I’m] very excited about this season,” Hornets legend Muggsy Bogues told Y’all Weekly. “Our core players — Melo, Brandon [Miller], and Miles [Bridges] — are healthy. Also, with the addition of Collin Sexton, Tre Mann being back, and the talented rookie class — oh, we can’t forget about Grant [Williams] coming back some time during the season — so I’m very optimistic. Possibly a carry over from this summer!”
Though you can see him at every Charlotte FC match during the summer, Charlotte superfan Hector Cortes has been going to Hornets games for almost two decades, after moving to Charlotte in 2006.
“I’m super proud and excited about Charlotte FC finishing in 4th place and making the playoffs, and cannot wait to bring the same energy and excitement to the Hive and watch our Hornets on Wednesday,” Cortes told Y’all.
“I do plan to get to a few Hornets game, or at least the Crown Club Tealgates,” Kevin Weiker - better known around Charlotte stadiums as the Carolina Reaper - told Y’all. “I am excited to see where this team ends up, as it looks like from this off-season we’ve definitely made strides in a weak Eastern Conference.”
“The best is yet to come in Charlotte sports.” - LaMelo Ball
A Parliament of Rooks
The Hornets’ momentum started in the summer when the team captured their first-ever NBA Summer League championship with a perfect 6-0 run in Las Vegas.
That run was capped by an 83-78 victory over the Sacramento Kings. No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel, the Duke sharpshooter whose MVP performance in the final included 21 points and four 3-pointers, symbolized the franchise’s rising tide.
“Winning the little Summer League thing, that was big as you can tell,” Ball said, reflecting on the hardware that broke Charlotte’s long drought.
The Hive will be full of rooks this year, including the Hornets’ second round draft picks small forward Sion James (Duke) and center Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton); as well as first round pick Liam McNeeley (UConn), a forward acquired from the Phoenix Suns.
Knueppel, whose Summer League MVP turn included a budding signature hesitation move, embodies the winning DNA Charlotte needs. Despite a rocky opener (1-for-8 shooting), Knueppel rebounded ferociously, earning Ball’s nod as the summer’s pleasant surprise.
“If you have guys that want to compete and win, you’re going to have a competitive team,” Knueppel said. “Having as many people that care about that as possible in the building is going to be really helpful.”
Additionally, young French forwards Moussa Diabaté and Tidjane Salaün will look to make a difference in their second year with the Hornets organization.
Hope for the Hornets
Charlotte Hornets executives, coaches, and players gathered at Queens University for the team’s media day on Sept. 29, where the team painted a picture of unity, grit and playoff potential. With franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball leading the charge, the Hornets believe they’re ready to be playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Despite last year’s disappointing 19-63 season, head coach Charles Lee, in his second year at the helm, set the tone with his excitement.
“[I’m] very excited about this season … I’m very optimistic. Possibly a carry over from this summer!” - Muggsy Bogues
“We’re all about daily improvement,” Lee told the press, emphasizing the seamless integration of new faces like guard Collin Sexton.
“Collin has been unbelievable since he got here,” Lee gushed. “It’s like a perfect marriage. He comes in every day hungry, curious and excited to work.”
That enthusiasm echoed through the roster. Ball, the 2022 All-Star who missed 34 games last season to ankle woes, emerged from a productive summer looking sharper than ever. Clocking extra hours in Charlotte’s weight room, the 23-year-old point guard bulked up without sacrificing his flair.
“I knew I needed to get in the weight room and I did get stronger,” Ball said plainly. “I have no pressure. I’m just going to play and try to get as many wins as we can.”
Even with Charlotte’s impressive rookie class, Ball’s health may still be the linchpin. When paired with sophomore forward Brandon Miller last season, the team looked like a .500+ squad.
Miller, sidelined for 23 games last year with a wrist injury, echoed Ball’s focus on durability during media day.
“Staying healthy is going to be of utmost importance,” he said, crediting an offseason of targeted rehab for restoring his All-Rookie snap.
President of basketball operations Jeff Peterson confirmed both stars are “fully operational” entering the season, a far cry from last year’s injury-plagued campaign.
Peterson’s marathon mindset tempers the excitement, but don’t mistake it for timidity.
“We’re in the business of taking the right daily steps to gradual improvement,” he said, while leaving the door open for a splashy All-Star acquisition. With a clean cap sheet beyond 2026-27 — save Ball’s max — Charlotte is positioned to pounce next summer.
As the opener looms at home against Brooklyn on Oct. 22, the Hornets eye a play-in berth, maybe more. Injuries derailed dreams before; health could unleash a hornets’ nest.
Ball summed it best: “The best is yet to come in Charlotte sports.”
Adrian Singerman contributed to this story.
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