It’s been over a decade since there was genuine excitement surrounding professional basketball in Charlotte. This season the Hornets name and colours are back, and while things like the logo, jerseys and name seem trivial, they really are a big deal.
Here’s what people associate with the Bobcats name:
Historically poor teams, headlined by the 7-59 squad in 2011-12. An extensive range of inexcusably poor jerseys (you don’t like orange? Well how about grey and orange!). Front office blunders, although savvy GM Rich Cho has since arrived. Stadiums so empty and quiet you can just about hear every shoe squeak, swish and fart, and a team that was simply of little interest to the city of Charlotte.
Here’s what people associate with the Hornets name:
Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning. Teams so cool that they were a legitimate bandwagon alternative to Michael Jordan’s Bulls, the best jerseys and colour scheme in sports, playoff basketball, a packed and loud arena, freakin’ honeycomb keyways, and a team that meant everything to the city.
Hell, Charlotte Hornets gear was still being made all throughout the Bobcats era, and undoubtedly outsold it.
What do you get when you replace one of the worst brands in sports with one the best, throw in a whole bunch of nostalgia, and the city’s first legit roster in a decade? You get genuine, infectious excitement.
Lance Stephenson is the third and final step in Charlotte’s progression, and the Hornets rest on his shoulders.
Stephenson averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season, and appears set to increase his output.
Lance gets to the rack at will, either using his size to bully his way to rim, or his handles to shake guys out of his way. Throw in his exceptional court vision and passing ability, and Stephenson will likely find guys like Kemba Walker and Gary Neal on the perimeter following drive and dishes on a regular basis.
If Lance can just channel the right amount of crazy – the crazy that sees him racing all over the court, slashing to the hoop, throwing unreal passes, making plays and pumping himself and the crowd up so much that all involved have a collective aneurism – the Hornets will be a real factor in the wide-open east.
If he channels the amount of crazy which sees him talk obscene amounts of trash, make stupid plays, distract his teammates from actual basketball and royally pisses off MJ, things could get messy.
However, with the best brand in basketball back in town, MJ’s ever visible presence, and the biggest mouth in basketball joining the party, Queen City hoops once again has rock-star appeal.
Whether it’s going to work on the court is up to Lance, whose positives certainly outweigh his negatives.
With ‘Born Ready’ leading the charge, basketball in Charlotte has been reborn, and sure as hell appears ready.
Follow Nick on Twitter @nickjungfer
mushi
Guest
I think it’s a bit of waxing lyrical about Lance, he was okay at getting to the rack (in the 50s ranking for drivers per game) but he regularly faced the opponents second or third best perimeter defender. He converted at a really high rate but then took a below average number of shots at the rim. To say he got there “at will” would be a sad indictment on his amount of will... I think lance being the “most important” is a chemistry issue in that he can blow this team up if they aren’t careful. They put together a team which defended well despite no one being a great one on one defender and you only do that with chemistry and commitment, two things that led to Lance not being in a Pacers uniform. But as a player he’s been a low usage second wing creator, I think being a release valve for Kemba and Big Al is his best value (but will his ego let him be that guy?) because you may as well start scouting lottery picks if you’re going to give a guy who has never cracked the league average in PER the keys to your offence.
Gobbler
Guest
So you're saying Lance is more important to this team than Big Al? Not sure about that. To me Als stat line of 21-11-3-1-1 suggests he is more critical to their success than the Ear Blower. Although I'm looking forward to seeing Lance get more touches this year out of Indianna.