The Charlotte area had long been a hotbed for college basketball. In 1985, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams by the 1988–1989 season, later modified to include a total of four expansion teams. George Shinn, an entrepreneur from Kannapolis, wanted to bring an NBA team to the Charlotte area, and he assembled a group of prominent local businessmen to head the prospective franchise. Previously the team practiced at the Grady Cole Center in the Elizabeth neighborhood before moving to a purpose-built facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina located beside Knights Castle, this facility is now known as The Pointe Arts and Recreation Center.įranchise history 1988–2002: Original Charlotte Hornets/The George Shinn era 1985–1988: Birth of the Hornets The Hornets practice at the Novant Health Training Center, located within the Spectrum Center. In August 2016, the arena was renamed the Spectrum Center after Time Warner's merger with Charter Communications and its Spectrum consumer/business branding. When the Hornets returned to Charlotte, 'The Hive' nickname also returned to the arena. In exchange for the naming rights, Time Warner agreed to tear up the cable television deal that had limited the Bobcats' exposure over the team's first four years (see below). In April 2008, the Bobcats reached a naming rights deal with Time Warner Cable, North Carolina's largest cable television provider. After its completion, the city closed the old Coliseum in the 2005 off-season and opened the new arena with a Rolling Stones concert. When they returned as the Bobcats, they temporarily played in the Coliseum in the 2004–05 season while their new arena (the Charlotte Bobcats Arena) was being built. The Hornets would go on to lead the NBA in attendance over the course of their first seven seasons. The Coliseum hosted 364 consecutive NBA sell-outs from December 1988 to November 1997. With almost 24,000 seats, it was (and still remains) the largest basketball-specific venue in the league by seating capacity. The Hornets played their first 15 seasons at the Charlotte Coliseum, which was called 'The Hive' by fans. Spectrum Center (formerly Time Warner Cable Arena, and Charlotte Bobcats Arena) (2005–present).2.3 2014–present: The Return of the Charlotte Hornets.2.2.5 2009–10: Michael Jordan becomes owner of the Bobcats.

2.1.5 1998–2002: Final years of original personnel.

2.1 1988–2002: Original Charlotte Hornets/The George Shinn era.

In 2013, the Bobcats announced that they would change their name to the Charlotte Hornets once again for the 2014–15 season. After suspending operations for two seasons the Charlotte franchise, rebranded at the time as the Charlotte Bobcats, was reactivated under new ownership in the 2004–05 NBA season. Although Shinn was controversially permitted to relocate his basketball organization to that city, an agreement was eventually reached in which Charlotte was permitted to retain the history and records of the team spanning from 1988 to 2002. In 2002, Shinn relinquished his original franchise and acquired a new franchise in New Orleans. The Hornets franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team owned by George Shinn.

The team is mainly owned by Basketball Hall-of-Fame member Michael Jordan, who acquired a controlling interest in the team in 2010.

The Hornets play their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte. The team is part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

2014 charlotte hornets roster