Charlotte

Hornets

Michael Jordan owns a majority share of the Charlotte Hornets. He initially bought a huge chunk of the franchise back in 2010 where he paid $180 million to control 97% of the team's equity. Later in 2019, he ended up selling at least 20% to New York-based investors which should leave him with around 70% ownership of the franchise to date.

LaMelo Ball is poised to take over as the Charlotte Hornets' franchise player sooner rather than later. The 3rd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is slowly gaining the hearts of Charlotte fans with his creativity and fresh approach to the game. Though he started his NBA career coming off the bench, he made it a point to work his butt off and has now earned a spot in the Hornets' starting unit where his numbers have sky-rocketed together with the team gaining more wins.

Ball is a big guard with the ability to be an all-around player with his scoring and passing ability. His length helps him dominate his match-ups and even grab a decent amount of boards along the way. Once he further improves his shooting, decision-making, and gains a bit more muscle, Melo will surely be one of the brightest young stars in the league.

The Charlotte Hornets are in line to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Despite their core being rather young, the leadership of guys like Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier has definitely helped youngsters like LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and PJ Washington thrive and be the stars they need to be for the team to be successful. The Hornets have managed to stay in the middle of the pack and have slowly cemented their spot in the coming 2021 NBA play-in tournament.

Currently, the Charlotte Hornets' young core is slowly looking like they can be a contender in the Eastern Conference in the coming years. Spearheaded by rookie LaMelo Ball, who's just 19 years of age, Charlotte has an abundance of young talent that can definitely form a championship team eventually, given the right experience and tutelage. Other young guys like PJ Washington, Malik Monk, and Miles Bridges are all just 22 years old while Devonte' Graham (25) and Terry Rozier (26) are already considered as the vets on the team. Gordon Hayward, who's just 30, is the team's oldest player, which says a lot about how young this team really is.

If these young Hornets make it to the playoffs, no matter what the outcome is, that will certainly bode well for the future of the franchise with the young stars getting some much-needed experience and exposure. If the front office can acquire key veterans down the line, it won't be surprising if the Hornets climb to the top of the Eastern Conference sooner rather than later.

Eight-year veteran Cody Zeller is on an expiring contract with the Charlotte Hornets this season. Zeller, 28, has been a staple in the Hornets' lineup whenever he's on the floor. Unfortunately, Zeller has been dealing with a ton of injuries throughout his time in Charlotte, which has hindered him from getting into a solid flow as the Hornets' main big man. Zeller isn't getting any younger and the Hornets might want to spend the dollars they're spending on him on another player who's younger and, hopefully, has more potential.

As of February 2021, the Charlotte Hornets are valued at $1.5 billion dollars (per Forbes). This puts the Michael Jordan-owned franchise at the bottom echelon of the league in terms of net worth and valuation (No. 25). They've been out of playoff contention for the past four seasons, which has subsequently resulted in less and less in-game revenue through the years. The Hornets are looking to turn the tide in 2020-21 with new faces like Gordon Hayward and rookie LaMelo Ball, who have made this year's squad must-watch television. If Charlotte can book a trip to the playoffs this season, look for their net worth to rise up over the next few seasons.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. The UNC legend initially bought a minority stake of the franchise back in 2006 when the team was still carrying the Bobcats name. This changed a few years later when Jordan paid as much as $180 million to acquire a huge percentage of the team, which gave His Airness a controlling stake of the franchise. In 2019, he did end up selling a few of his shares while still holding on to the majority of his stake in the franchise.

James Borrego has been the head honcho for the Charlotte Hornets for the past few seasons. He was initially an assistant coach for the New Orleans Hornets back in 2010-2012 under former head coach Monty Williams. After moving from team to team and gaining enough experience, the Hornets chose to sign the New Mexico native to a four-year deal back in 2018. Unfortunately, Borrego's first two seasons in Charlotte were tough, falling under .500 in both instances. The 43-year-old head coach is hoping that he gets it right this season as he's hoping to bring the franchise back to the playoffs for the first time in his tenure.

The Charlotte Hornets have seven Assistant Coaches working under head coach James Borrego. Jay Triano, who was the former head coach of the Toronto Raptors back in 2008-2011, is the lead assistant coach. As part of the coaching staff, the Hornets have hired Chad Iske, Ronald Nored, Jay Hernandez, Dutch Gaitley, Nathaniel Mitchell, and Nick Friedman.

There have been a handful of great mentors that have had the privilege of calling the shots as the Charlotte Hornets' head coach in the franchise's history. For starters, there's former head coach Steve Clifford, who was at the helm from 2013-2018. Prior to his arrival, the team only won 28 games for the previous two seasons, but their fortunes quickly changed once the defensive-minded mentor arrived. Clifford immediately brought Charlotte to the 2014 playoffs in his first season. He ended his tenure with the Hornets with the second-most wins in franchise history with a 196-214 record.

Another former coach worthy of mention is the legendary Allan Bristow. The former guard spent five seasons as the Hornets' head coach from 1991-1996. He was responsible for bringing the Hornets to their first-ever trip to the playoffs as well as their first-ever series win in 1993. After five seasons, Bristow owns the record of most regular-season wins in franchise history with 207 on a .505 winning percentage.

But, the best coach in franchise history is none other than the iconic Paul Silas. The three-time NBA champion as a player had two stints as the Hornets' head coach. His first three seasons were from 1999-2002, then he came back from 2010-2012. In those six seasons, Silas garnered the most playoff wins in franchise history with a total of 11 on three postseason trips. Silas's six seasons with the team also make him the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history, at least through 2021.

The Charlotte Hornets' dynamic duo of Glenn Rice and Larry Johnson make the list of the franchise's top five players. Rice, who we'll rank 5th, came to Charlotte in 1995 and had an immediate impact. In three seasons with the franchise, he made it to three-straight All-Star Game appearances and was even named the 1997 ASG MVP. In that short stint, Rice was able to set the franchise record as an all-time leader in minutes per game and points per game.

Johnson, for his part, spent a few more seasons in Charlotte. The "Big L" was drafted by the franchise as their first overall pick in 1991 and was clearly a cut above the rest as he landed the 1992 ROTY Award. From there, Johnson continued to stamp his presence on the franchise. In five full seasons with the Hornets, he climbed all the way to the top as the franchise's offensive rebounds leader. He's also second in all-time rebounds with 3,479 boards.

Though the team's short stint as the Charlotte Bobcats was rather dull, one player stood out and became one of the best players to ever play for the city of Charlotte. Gerald Wallace was a feisty defender and lit up the scoreboard time and time again. In his seven seasons in Charlotte, he was the 2006 steals leader and he was named to the 2010 NBA All-Defensive squad.

A legend in his own right is the great Dell Curry. Wardell the first had a colorful career in Charlotte and became one of the best shooters to ever play in the NBA. The 1994 Sixth Man of the Year Awardee is the franchise's all-time leader in games played (701) as well as two-point field goals (3,022). Despite the 3-pointer’s usage skyrocketing in the modern NBA, as of 2021 Dell Curry is still 2nd in career 3-pointers by a Charlotte Hornet with 929.

At the top of the list is none other than Kemba Walker. The Hornets bet big on the UConn alum and grabbed Walker as the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Walker played eight seasons in Charlotte and brought "Cardiac Kemba" all the way to North Carolina. The point guard became the franchise's all-time leader in points, field goals, 3-pointers, and minutes played. Though his time in Charlotte was cut short, Walker will forever be loved by the city for always playing with his heart on his sleeve.

Though there have been a handful of notable players to wear the Charlotte Hornets' uniform through the course of its franchise history, only one name really stands out, and that is the late, great Bobby Phills. Phills had a nine-season career in the NBA and played his last three with the Hornets. The shooting guard was never one to light up the scoreboard with his scoring ability, but Phills basically did everything else. The Baton Rouge native was a pesky defender who was not afraid to go up against guys like Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and other outstanding guards from the 90s.

In January 2000, in what would be his third and final season in Charlotte, Phills was killed in a tragic car accident. The Hornets chose to honor him by retiring his jersey right after he passed and re-retired his number when the franchise was restored in Charlotte. To this date, only Phills' number has been retired by the franchise.