Charlotte Hornets · Franchise era 1 of 5
The original Hornets: the Charlotte Hornets story
Franchise era
1988–89—1994–95
The original Hornets
Charlotte Hornets
The story in one sentence
Charlotte became an attendance phenomenon and playoff team behind Johnson, Mourning and Bogues before the young stars were traded.
Grandmama, Zo and a city in love
Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Muggsy Bogues gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for a steady playoff team leaves.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Charlotte's history joins the electric original Hornets, an expansion rebirth as the Bobcats, Kemba Walker's franchise records and another youth movement built around LaMelo Ball.
1993
Eastern Conference First Round: Charlotte Hornets vs Boston Celtics
1993
Eastern Conference Semifinals: Charlotte Hornets vs New York Knicks
1995
Eastern Conference First Round: Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls
After 1994–95
What came next
The Hornets remained competitive through multiple cores, but a damaged ownership relationship ended with relocation to New Orleans.
The core