Charlotte Hornets · Franchise era 5 of 5
The LaMelo era: the Charlotte Hornets story
Franchise era
2020–21—present
The LaMelo era
Charlotte Hornets
The story in one sentence
Ball's passing brought immediate excitement, but injuries and roster churn have kept Charlotte focused on assembling a durable young core.
Playmaking and another rebuild
LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2020–21
What came before
The franchise reclaimed the Hornets identity, while Walker became its career scoring leader and led two playoff appearances.
2020–21—present
The LaMelo era
Ball's passing brought immediate excitement, but injuries and roster churn have kept Charlotte focused on assembling a durable young core.
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core