Depending on how long you’ve been a Charlotte Hornets fan, you may be thinking to yourself, “Here we go again.” We are in the midst of another losing season, the injury bug is sharing the love with the entire team, and we have new ownership, and a new head of basketball operations. Let me give you a rundown of where we were, where we are, and what I think is where we’re going.
It’s tough. I’m not going to lie about it. I’ve been a fan since the original existence of the team. When we started, we were not good (I’m talking about Hornets 1.0). We still were setting attendance records though. The teal and purple became an iconic colorway, and Hornets gear started outselling the Chicago Bulls at one point. The team got better over time, and we saw some playoff appearances. The arena was always loud and packed, and the fans absolutely loved the team. Ownership greed started overshadowing the team and with requests that were not going to gain local support, they moved the team to New Orleans. I actually stopped watching the NBA because my beloved bugs were not in my state anymore. That was a gut punch for the NBA in North Carolina. Then we were blessed with another team, the Charlotte Bobcats.
That Bobcats era showed me exactly where my loyalty lies. I was so happy to have an NBA team in Charlotte again. The problem was that it was different. Finding games on TV was impossible. Going to games, the atmosphere was not the same. It was not the Hornets 1.0 and I was sad but still a fan. I even went to a home game where the Bobcats were playing the Houston Rockets. The Rockets team that had Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady what who we were facing. I had upper deck seats that I had won through Sprite. It was so quiet that from the upper deck, you could hear the players and coaches talking on the bench. Not the experience I remembered from my childhood. At any rate, the Bobcats era was a rough one and to date, we have not seemed to shed that persona that we aren’t the Hornets. We still get “Bobcats” respect, which is very little at all. We have the Hornets name and records back, but the passion has not been there. Writing game recaps for a 7-win team wasn’t easy, but here I still am, cheering these guys on, hoping for a better day.
Fans, take a deep breath. I believe deep down in my heart that this franchise is about to make a turn for the better. We have 2 new owners in Gabe Plotkin and Rich Schnall that are visibly present and active. In their short time as owners here, we have seen solid moves to get the correct personnel in place. The trade deadline moves to free up salaries, to bring in vet presences to help the youth we have on the team, and hiring Jeff Peterson as the new head of basketball are all solid moves.
The owners are active with the fans at the game. That one is huge for me because when I started Trade Street Post with the arrival of the Bobcats, it was to be a fan voice. I had my opinions, but I also listened to fans and shared their thoughts and opinions in what I would write. I saw my site as the spot to bridge the gap between the organization and the fans. I was being invited to Media Day, to “new concessions tastings” and I really felt like I was going to be able to bridge the gap between the organization and the fans. GM Rich Cho was always super supportive of that, and even had luncheons with the blog sites and talked to us like we were part of the family. Family is the right word because we all felt close, and we defended the team and its platers like family. Somewhere along the post-Cho era, some the team decisions started getting worse, the connection to the team got weaker, and the organization pulled the shades down on being open to the blog sites and the fans. Jordan was visible less and less, and we eventually wound up where we are now.
I believe Gabe, Rich, and Jeff know what direction this team needs to go in. I believe that they are the open owners that will continue to talk to fans, who will make the tough moves to make the team better and will be determined to bring a winning team with perennial playoffs being in their DNA. We have talent with the group we have now. Injuries have not been nice. If you watch the vets we picked up at the trade deadline, they are in the rookies’ ears. They are pointing out stuff to them that is happening on the fly while sitting on the bench during games. They are making the youth we have more mature and increasing their basketball IQs much more rapidly than it was in the first half of the season. Are we going to win a championship this season? No. Next season? Probably not. We have to just be patient. Have faith in the organization. Mark Williams is the center we needed and have needed for a long time. Once his back has healed, Melo’s ankle is healed, Bridges is signed to an extension, Miller keeps growing as a superstar, and we get another solid rookie in the next draft, you are going to see something special in Charlotte. Just have faith Hornets fans. Our Day Will Come.
Bring Back the Buzz 