Hornets Sports & Entertainment announced on Monday that they intended to launch an NBA D-league team starting the 2016-17 season. This is great for Charlotte to finally have a team that we can pull players from and send our young developing ones to without having to send them half way across the country to find a willing location.
They listed 7 potential cities including Asheville, Fayetteville, Greensboro and Raleigh in North Carolina as well as Charleston, Columbia and Greenville in South Carolina.
Each city has strong cases for why they think they deserve a D-league team. Greensboro is a proven town when it come to minor league teams, have their coliseum and is the 3rd largest city in the state. Raleigh is the darling of the state and is rewarded everything from the majority of tax payers money to the only professional team in the state with a Championship. Charleston, Columbia and Greenville would help spread the fan base to the old Palmetto State much like Spartanburg training camp has done for the Carolina Panthers.
Asheville is the tourist trap of the state. Already has experience with an NBA D-League team called the Asheville Altitude that existed from 2001-2005 and won the league title the last two years of its existence and Hornets already do the majority of their off-season training in Asheville. They even have an already existing grassroots campaign that has been fighting for a team for over a year called “Beelieve in Asheville”
“The team lost at least $100,000 in each of the four seasons and saw declining attendance each year before leaving in 2005.
During its last season in Asheville (2004-05), the Altitude drew fewer than 300 fans for nine of 23 home games.”- Citizens-Times
Our plan for this D-League team is to give the fans a 3 step interactive chance to voice their opinion to the Hornets organization.
- Vote on a city
- Submit & Vote on a name
- Vote on a logo
SOOOOO The polling begins with the City!
Bring Back the Buzz 
Fayetteville is the perfect place to bring the team. We have the largest military base in the east coast and a multitude of basketball fans. With a lack of entertainment in the area, this attraction will flourish, not only with the military personnel but with the basketball lovers of Fayetteville and surrounding cities.
Would be great to send players down to the Fayetteville Flight!! Been to a couple of games and see the direction he is trying to go in. More importantly they are involved in our community alittle more than our other local teams. What better name then the Fayetteville Flight!!
Fayetteville has a military base and fast food franchises…that’s about it. Any of the other options are 10 times better than there.
Which is exactly why there is more money to be made in Fayetteville. Military jobs pay better then most others. And the fact that there’s nothing here would make this more meaningful to the community, and more profitable to the team.
We Need To Have The NBA D-League Back Here In Fayetteville Because We Have A lot Of Talented Athletes In This Area
Hornets belong to NC, not Charelston SC.
Would love to see a team in Charleston aka Chucktown! Great city filled with great people.
What u mean? They belong in Fayetteville. We have the Crown Collesium here for them to play in. Queen City, Crown Collesium… It’s perfect. It took us a long time to get the Hornets back in NC. Now your suggesting that their D League team go somewhere besides North Carolina? That’s crazy.
I use to have season tickets for the Bobcats and Hornets when I lived in Charlotte. I would love to see the Charlotte D League come to Fayetteville. I’d be at every game.
Really hoping Charleston gets the team. WE have a good town filled with good people. Would be a great way to spread out the range of the Hornets and get new fans and more support.
Honestly Fayetteville has the Money and the Fans just like any other city, what would make us so special? Nothing unless you Have the correct Marketing Plan…Team Based Programs that involve the community and gives them pride. #1 get our cities Upper class to invest and local restaurants to participate and then the people who have “retired” in life who support nothing to get out and enjoy a game or two they then might Support full on. Get Rapper home town sensation J Cole to rap or Rep the Team. With the correct Plan Fayetteville could be te greatest hub for a D LEAGUE TEAM. But you better have a Marketing Team that knows how to get People Hype and excited to go out spend some HARD EARNED $$$$ And not feel like they wasted it! #FayettevilleFlight !!!!!
Can we get some Greenville NC love? Would love to have them play here or at least get some games this way!
I’d stay away from Raleigh because hey have one pro sports team and a bunch of college teams already, plus minor league baseball in the area. I’d love another excuse to visit Asheville and although it is a tourist trap, other than Biltmore and breweries there is not a lot of entertainment. It’s also an easy drive from Charlotte. Fayetteville would be good for the reasons already mentioned.