Remembering the Charlotte Hornets 30 years later: The very first win

We continue our series looking back at the first 30 years of Charlotte Hornets basketball by turning back the clock to November 8, 1988, a day that saw the Hornets earn its very first win in franchise history over the Los Angeles Clippers.

There's always a first time for everything

After dropping the first two games of the 1988-89 inaugural campaign, the Charlotte Hornets entered that evening's game against the Los Angeles Clippers on the home floor of the Charlotte Coliseum, and as the old saying goes, "There's always a first time for everything."  Many of us remember our first day of school, that first kiss, even getting that first house or card, but for the Hornets they had to get that first win not knowing the fact that George Shinn would suffer a stroke earlier in the day.  It occurred during an interview with the local Charlotte media when they asked about a possible name change for the 3-month old Coliseum on Tyvola Road Extension, and many of the other media members that were there were wondering where was Charlotte, and why this city deserved an NBA team to play in what was once the largest basketball-specific arena in the NBA when it opened back on August 11, 1988, and when the interview ended, Spencer Stolpen, the team's president at the time, was checking into the offices at 100 Hive Drive, and he did not realize that Shinn would suffer a stroke, causing concern for the 18,865 fans that were headed to that evening's game at "The Hive", but as the saying goes, "The Game Must Go On."

Crossing the threshold of victory for the first time

The game did go on, and in that game against the Clippers, fans would witness another first in Charlotte Hornets history, as Kurt Rambis would record the very first double-double in franchise history, as he would finish with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, while adding in 14 rebounds for the first 10+ rebound game in Hornet history, while Kelly Tripucka would lead the way for Charlotte with a game-high 24 points, and when the final horn sounded, the Hornets would taste victory for the very first time, as they would send the 18,865 home happy with a 117-105 win over the L.A. Clippers, and afterwards, the team would sign a ball and presented it to George Shinn to honor that first win in franchise history.

The Charlotte Hornets first win on November 8, 1988 is another in a long and storied chapter of NBA basketball in Charlotte, as we continue to celebrate the 30th anniversary of that first Hornets season back in 1988-89.