If the Hornets nickname becomes available, Charlotte might be intersted in getting it back.

 

When the Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, owner Tom Benson said that he would like to change the name to something more fitting of the Big Easy. Before Wednesday’s game, his wife Gayle reiterated that idea and added that the franchise would also like to change the team colors from teal and purple to red, gold and navy blue.

 

Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was asked if he’d be interested in bringing the Hornets name back to Charlotte.

 

“It’s definitely an interest down the road, but right now it’s the New Orleans Hornets,” Jordan told the Charlotte Observer. “We would definitely entertain the opportunity. That’s as much as we can say right now. We’ve heard the community ask the question, and we would listen.”

 

The newspaper reports that throwback Charlotte Hornets jerseys are popular among young fans in the area, and team web sites buzz with others who still prefer the name and color scheme of the Charlotte NBA team that started in 1988. But owners or fans won’t have the final say. The league issued a statement Wednesday saying that it is aware of the Hornets intentions but the ultimate decision on team names and colors resides with the NBA.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8693974/michael-jordan-open-hornets-name-back-charlotte