The Charlotte Hornets have a long and somewhat complicated history.
Having entered the league in 1988, Charlotte stayed in the Carolinas until 2002, when the team moved to New Orleans. That was followed by another expansion team in 2004 named the Charlotte Bobcats. Team owner Michael Jordan announced in 2013 that the Charlotte Bobcats franchise had submitted to return to the Charlotte Hornets. The Charlotte franchise was approved to not only return their names to the Hornets, and Charlotte acquired and now owns the team’s history and records from 1988-2002.
As a result of that complicated history, there have been quite a few opportunities for the franchise to build up some unique tidbits. Here is a look at some noteworthy pieces of Charlotte Hornets trivia.
Charlotte Hornets Trivia
We’ve broken down our questions into categories: Hornets players, notable statistics, team accomplishments, and miscellaneous.
Hornets Players
- In Charlotte’s 1988 expansion season, who was the Hornets’ first pick in the 1988 NBA draft?
- Rex Chapman was selected eighth overall. Chapman went on to have a good rookie season, averaging 16.9 points per game and earning second-team All-Rookie Team honors.
- Which Hornets player was the first to win NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year?
- Dell Curry, an instant offense player who specialized as a 3-point shooter, spent 10 seasons in Charlotte. Curry won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in the 1993-1994 season.
- What Charlotte Hornets player scored the Charlotte franchise’s first points?
- Kelly Tripucka scored the first points in franchise history, while Rickey Green took the first shot attempt.
- Who is the only Hornets player that is top six in franchise points, rebounds, assists, and minutes played?
- Larry Johnson, who has 7,405 points (4th), 3,479 rebounds (2nd), 1,553 assists (6th), and 14,635 minutes (5th) in his Hornets career.
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Statistics
- Who was the first Charlotte player to make 250 three-pointers in a single season?
- On April 7, 2019, Kemba Walker became the ninth player in NBA history to make 250 or more three-pointers in a single season.
- Which Charlotte coach holds the highest winning percentage of all time?
- Dave Cowens, who coached the Hornets from 1996-1999, held a record of 109-70 (.609 %).
- Who is the franchise record holder for single-season assists?
- Muggsy Bogues had 867 assists in the 1989-90 season. Bogues is also the career leader in minutes played, assists, and steals for the Hornets.
- Which Hornets player was the first to record 250 blocks in a single season?
- In his rookie season, Alonzo Mourning demolished the Hornets’ single-season block record and finished the season with 271 blocks.
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Team Accomplishments
- How many times have the Charlotte Hornets made the playoffs?
- Six times in team history.
- When was the last time the Charlotte Hornets won a playoff series?
- The Hornets beat the Orlando Magic, 3-1, in the first round in 2002. The series included exciting overtime games in Games 2 and 3.
- What player hit a game-winning shot against the Celtics in a first-round playoff series to win the series?
- Alonzo Mourning hit a game-winner with 0.4 second left to help the Hornets advance to the second round.
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Miscellaneous
- What is the Name of the Charlotte Hornets mascot?
- The Hornets’ mascot is named Hugo the Hornet.
- What NBA Hall of Famer took a controlling interest as the team’s owner in 2010?
- Michael Jordan, who is the NBA’s first African American owner.
- Where does Charlotte play its home games?
- Charlotte plays its home games in the heart of Charlotte at the Spectrum Center.
- Before a naming contest selecting the team name of the Hornets before their expansion season, what was Charlotte originally going to be called?
- The Charlotte Spirit.
AP Photo/Ron Frehm
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