Hornets Extra: A history of Charlotte's NBA draft picks in the NBA Draft

In 2 days from now, the NBA Draft will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the draft will have a special significance for the Charlotte Hornets: It will be their first draft appearance in 13 years, as the team continues its transition from the Bobcats back to the Hornets moniker, which became official last month.

Since 1988, Charlotte's NBA teams have participated in the NBA Draft(except the 1997 and 2010 Drafts), and some of the players turned out to be strong players for the original Hornets franchise, and during the then-Bobcats era from 2004-2014, while others, well, let's just not get into this discussion, okay.  The Hornets come into the draft with the 9th and 24th picks in the first round, and the 45th pick in the second round, and we got the 9th pick from the Detroit Pistons back during the Draft Lottery on May 20th, the same day the "Hornets" name officially returned home to Charlotte, and by looking at some of the different mock drafts I've been checking out, the consensus of them have Charlotte taking Doug McDermott out of Creighton at number 9, and P.J. Hairston from the NBA Development League by way of the University of North Carolina at 24, while others have Charlotte taking Nik Stauskas from the University of Michigan, and many believe that some of the mock drafts could possibly hold up come draft night, but it's up to the general managers to decide which player could best fit the franchise.

And for us fans here in Charlotte, it's up to Michael Jordan, General Manager Rich Cho, and head coach Steve Clifford to look for a player that can take the Hornets into the next chapter in their history, after the then-Bobcats coming off a successful 2013-14 season that saw them finish the campaign with a 44-38 record, before being swept in 4 straight games by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

Back to the story about the history of the Hornets/Bobcats picks in the NBA Draft.  The draft has produced a lot of top talent for the original Hornets franchise(1988-2002), and the Bobcats era from 2004-2014, and with the draft coming up in 2 days, this give us time to do a refresher on all of the draft picks that Charlotte's NBA teams have had in the NBA Draft dating back to the original Hornets first year in 1988.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS DRAFT HISTORY(1988-2002)

1988 NBA Draft

First Round: Rex Chapman(8th overall pick, University of Kentucky)
Second Round: Tom Tolbert(34th overall pick, Arizona)
Third Round: Jeff Moore(58th overall, Auburn; Never played in NBA)

1989 NBA Draft

First Round: J.R. Reid(5th overall pick, University of North Carolina)
Second Round: Dyron Nix(29th overall pick, University of Tennessee)

1990 NBA Draft

First Round: Kendall Gill(5th overall pick, University of Illinois)
Second Round: Steve Scheffler(39th overall pick, Purdue University)

1991 NBA Draft

First Round: Larry Johnson(1st overall pick, UNLV; Rookie of the Year in 1991-92)
Second Round: Kevin Lynch(28th overall pick, Minnesota; Hornets acquired the selection from Denver)

1992 NBA Draft

First Round: Alonzo Mourning(2nd overall pick, Georgetown University)
Second Round: Tony Bennett(35th overall pick, Wisconsin-Green Bay; now head coach at the University of Virginia)

1993 NBA Draft

First Round: Greg Graham(17th overall pick, Indiana University); Scott Burrell(20th overall pick, UCONN)

1994 NBA Draft

Second Round: Darrin Hancock(38th overall pick, Kansas)

1995 NBA Draft

First Round: George Zidek(22nd overall pick, UCLA)

1996 NBA Draft

First Round: Kobe Bryant(13th overall pick, Lower Merion HS; traded to L.A. Lakers for Vlade Divac); Tony Delk(16th overall pick, University of Kentucky)
Second Round: Malik Rose(44th overall pick, Drexel University)

1997 NBA Draft: No picks

1998 NBA Draft

First Round: Ricky Davis(21st overall pick, Iowa)
Second Round: Andrew Betts, Long Beach State; Never played a game in the NBA)

1999 NBA Draft

First Round: Baron Davis(3rd overall pick, UCLA)
Second Round: Lee Nailon(43rd overall pick, TCU)

2000 NBA Draft

First Round: Jamaal Magloire(19th overall pick, University of Kentucky)

2001 NBA Draft

First Round: Kirk Haston(16th overall pick, Indiana University)

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS DRAFT HISTORY(2004-2014; BOLD denotes player is still with franchise)

2004 NBA Draft

First Round: Emeka Okafor(2nd overall pick, UCONN, 2004-05 Rookie of the Year)

Second Round: Bernard Robinson(46th overall pick, Michigan)

2005 NBA Draft

First Round: Raymond Felton(5th overall selection, University of North Carolina); Sean May(13th overall selection, University of North Carolina)

2006 NBA Draft

First Round: Adam Morrison(3rd overall selection, Gonzaga University)

Second Round: Ryan Hollins(50th overall selection, UCLA)

2007 NBA Draft

First Round: Brandan Wright(8th overall selection, University of North Carolina; Traded to Golden State in exchange for Jason Richardson); Jared Dudley(22nd overall selection, Boston College)

2008 NBA Draft

First Round: D.J. Augustin(8th overall selection, Texas); Alexis Ajinca(20th overall selection, France)
Second Round: Kyle Weaver(38th overall selection, Washington State)

2009 NBA Draft

First Round: GERALD HENDERSON(12th overall selection, Duke University)
Second Round: Derrick Brown(40th overall selection, Xavier University); Robert Vaden(54th overall selection, UAB; Never played in the regular season and playoffs)

2010 NBA Draft: No picks

2011 NBA Draft

First Round:BISMACK BIYOMBO(acquired from Sacramento with 7th overall pick, Congo); KEMBA WALKER(9th overall selection, UCONN); Tobias Harris(19th overall selection, Tennessee; traded to Milwaukee
Second Round: Jeremy Tyler(39th overall selection, Tokyo Apache; rights traded to Golden State)

2012 NBA Draft

First Round: MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST(2nd overall selection, University of Kentucky)
Second Round: JEFFERY TAYLOR(31st overall selection, Vanderbilt)

2013 NBA Draft

First Round: CODY ZELLER(4th overall selection, University of North Carolina; made the NBA All-Rookie third team in 2013-14 season)

A Farewell to BobcatZone

If Shakespeare said "The play's the thing", then certainly to a fan blogger, the game's the thing.

When I first launched BobcatZone back in September of 2008 giving you my thoughts and daily shenanigans about the Charlotte Bobcats from a fan's perspective through good times and bad times, and also delving into some topics around the NBA as well, and with the Bobcats era now officially closed after last night's elimination by the Miami Heat, it's time to bid this blog "Adieu."  It was a great ride for me to blog about my Bobcats for a short while here on this page, and i'm truly going to miss talking about the Bobcats here on this blog, and officially beginning a new chapter blogging about the Charlotte Hornets later this summer.

I did over 800 posts during this run, giving you my usual pre-game and post-game stories through "Bobcats Extra", and offering my thoughts on how I feel about what going on in the NBA in general, and that is something that I plan on continuing to blog about during the off-season when we make this transition to the Hornets, where together, we'll embrace new horizons, create new memories, and hopefully, together, enjoy a glorious new era in Charlotte basketball history as we begin our new journey as the Hornets In closing, I leave you all with this: stay well, stay safe, enjoy the off-season, enjoy this organization's new beginning as the Charlotte Hornets, and as the old saying in broadcasting, or blogging would go, "Check Your Local Listings!"

Special Comment: Why did we get outplayed by Miami and the reason behind us getting swept

And now at the request of Jake Cook, another "Special Comment" about why the Charlotte Bobcats got out hustled, and outplayed by the Miami Heat and the shocking revelation behind this sweep. Tonight marked the final straw for the Charlotte Bobcats as they lost their final game ever as the Bobcats thanks to the Miami Heat sweeping us in 4 straight games, and it was very disappointing and very sad for me to see this happen in the first place because we knew that we didn't have a chance on god's green earth to take down the self-proclaimed "Evil Empire" of the NBA.

Evil Empire is indeed what the Miami Heat are, they are the most overrated franchise in all of sports along with the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, heck, for god measure, you can throw in the Alabama Crimson Tide in college football for crying out loud, and we did indeed suffer defeat from the "Legion of Doom", consisting of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, and I wish them all the best down the road in their quest for another NBA title, but if there was one reason why our Charlotte Bobcats got outplayed by the Heat it was this: THEY WERE A VERY EXPERIENCED TEAM AND WE WERE NOT! WE DID NOT HAVE A SINGLE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE DOWN THE HEAT IN EACH OF THOSE FOUR GAMES BECAUSE THEY CAME IN AND TOTALLY SENT A MESSAGE SAYING "WE'RE THE MIAMI HEAT AND WE'RE GONNA BEAT THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT OUTTA YOU!" Beating the you-know-what outta you? If there's one reason why the Miami Heat wanted to sweep the Bobcats out of the playoffs, it was not only their obnoxious fan base, it was something that they had in the wings: THE REFEREES WANTED THE HEAT TO WIN BECAUSE RUMOR HAS IT THAT MICKY ARISON, THE GEORGE STEINBRENNER OF THE NBA, SECRETLY HIRED THE, TO HELP THE HEAT WIN THOSE GAMES AND DENYING US ANY OPPORTUNITY TO BEAT THE HEAT AND IN RETURN, PAYING THEM IN A SECRET BOUNTY THAT HIS RIGHT HAND MAN, PAT RILEY SET UP UPON THE SEEDINGS OF THE MATCH-UPS, JUST LIKE SEAN PAYTON DID A FEW YEARS BACK IN THE BOUNTYGATE SCANDAL OF 2012 FOR THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS! WHY DID YOU DO THIS, MR. ARISON? YOU WANTED TO DO THIS TO PROVE A POINT THAT THE BOBCATS COULDN'T FIND NOT ONE WAY TO STOP THE "LEGION OF DOOM"? WELL I GOT SOME NEWS FOR YOU, MR. ARISON: WHAT YOU DID WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNSPORTSMANLIKE BECAUSE YOU SIR, HAVE NO BUSINESS OF RUNNING A BOUNTY RING TO TURN YOUR ORGANIZATION INTO THE MOST OVERRATED FRANCHISE IN ALL OF SPORTS!

ANOTHER REASON WHY WE GOT SWEPT IS THOSE ARROGANT HEAT, OR AS I WOUKD CALL EM, MIAMI "YANKEES" FANS THAT TURNED OUR ARENA, TIME WARNER CABLE ARENA INTO "AMERICANAIRLINES ARENA NORTH" FOR THESE FINAL 2 GAMES, AND AFTER EACH GAME, YOU ALWAYS BREAK OUT YOUR OWN VERSION OF THE "RAMMER JAMMER, YELLOW HAMMER" CHANT YOU ALLEGEDLY STOLE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY TO YOU, HEAT FANS IS THIS: YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A FANBASE THAT'S SO ARROGANT AND OBNOXIOUS THAT'S KNOWN FOR TURNING EACH ANC EVERY SINGLE ARENA IN THIS NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION INTO "AMERICANAIRLINES ARENA WORLDWIDE", AND IN MY OPINION, YOUR FANBASE IS THE MOST OVERRATED FANBASE IN SPORTS ALONG WITH THE YANKEES, COWBOYS, DUKE BLUE DEVILS, AND THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE COMBINED!

The ttruth hurts, Miami Heat, and those are the reasons why we got out played and out hustled by Miami, and in closing, there is a certain lesson to remember: Sports is not all about winning or losing, it's all about PLAYING. TO. WIN. THE. GAME. AND DID THE MIAMI HEAT DO THAT? IN MY OPINION THE REFS HELPED YOU WIN AND YOUR FANBASE TOO OVER OUR ARENA WERE THE TWO THINGS THAT MADE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!  GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK!

Special Comment: How will the Bobcats finish in their last year as the "Bobcats" before becoming the Hornets

And now once again, at the request of my "Boss", Jake Cook over at "The Fake ESPN", another "Special Comment" about how will the Charlotte Bobcats finish in their last year as the "Bobcats" and how will the fans will remember the "Bobcats" name 5, 10, or 20 years from now.  This season is the last year that the Charlotte Bobcats will play under the name before switching it's name to the "Charlotte Hornets", and since me and my partner, Jake have been following this team since day 1, we have seen this team have it's ups and downs.

We are already 3 games into the season, and Charlotte is 1-2, and sure, the Bobcats have already played 3 games, with the team being in action tonight in New York to take on the Knicks.  I have no particular target on how will the Bobcats finish in it's last season as the "Bobcats", but I'm going on record to say that they will finish with a 35-42 record. I am going on record and say that my prediction of finishing the season with 35 wins may be a bold statement for this team, and sure, some say we could be the sleeper team in the Eastern Conference, but 35 wins would sound good for me in my book.

If you recall last season, Mike Dunlap's plan to turn the team around was an absolute disaster, are we as fans going to sit through this again? I HOPEFULLY think not!  We went out and hired a man who has a plan to turn this thing around in Steve Clifford, and the reason why I'm saying that we will win 30 to 35 games could be a big sign of improvement, and even though that we won't make the playoffs, I believe that 35 games could be a major sign of improvement for a Bobcats team that will wrap up their 10th and final season playing as the "Bobcats".

Now, onto the second half of this "Special Comment", how will the fans remember the "Bobcats" name 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years from now.  When this team first got the name "Bobcats", a lot of us thought that was a good name to replace the name "Hornets", after the team moved to New Orleans in 2002, and in the 10 seasons that this team has played as the "Bobcats", named after former owner Bob Johnson, we have been struggling, and struggling, and struggling, but how will we remember the name in 5, 10 or 20 years from now?  If we are still alive by then, some would say that the "Bobcats" name will not be remembered by many here in Charlotte, but many of us that was hoping for the day we finally found out that we were going to be known as the "Hornets" after almost 12 years last summer, finishing off a long, fought rally cry to tell Charlotte that we want that name back right where it belongs.  And as for the "Bobcats" name, some will say "Good riddance" to that name once it become disestablished at the end of the season, but in 5, 10, 15, or 20 years from now, a lot of will still have memories of the name, while others wouldn't care less about the nickname "Bobcats".

And lastly, my "Boss", Jake, demanded me to ask you this question: Will the change from "Bobcats" to "Hornets" make the team better? YES! YES! YES! IT WILL MAKE THE TEAM BETTER BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES THAT WANTED THE HORNETS NAME TO COME HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF THE NOSTALGIA THAT MADE THE ORIGINAL HORNETS BE ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISES IN THE NBA UNTIL GEORGE SHINN MOVED THE TEAM TO NEW ORLEANS ALMOST 13 YEARS AGO! IT WILL BE BETTER BECAUSE IF YOU LOOKED AT THE PROVED TRACK RECORD OVER THE LAST 10 SEASONS WE'VE BEEN KNOWN AS THE "BOBCATS", WE ONLY HAD 1 WINNING SEASON, ONE WINNING SEASON, PEOPLE! OUT OF 10 YEARS OF WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDERED A DISASTER, AND WHEN WE BECOME THE HORNETS AGAIN, WE WILL SEE FANS COME BACK TO SUPPORT THIS TEAM NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT JUST LIKE WHAT THE ORIGINAL HORNETS DID DURING THEIR 14 YEAR RUN IN THIS TOWN.  Good night, and Good Luck.

Bobcats Extra: A history of the "Hornets" name in Charlotte

Tomorrow will be the day we've been all waiting for, as this city will finally welcome the Hornets name back to town after almost 12 long years, as the NBA Board of Governors are expected to give the green light for the Charlotte Bobcats to change its name to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-15 season.  Of course, our city's first NBA team was called by that name from its inception in 1988 until the time they moved to New Orleans in 2002.  I was around during the time the original Charlotte Hornets got started, and followed them until that heartbreaking day they left for New Orleans.  For those of us that haven't lived here in Charlotte around the time the original Hornets played here, and didn't know what the "Hornets" nickname was all about, here is a little history lesson for you about the history of the Hornets nickname in Charlotte, and it goes a little something like this.

"The Battle of the Bees"

The roots of the "Hornets" nickname trace back the 18th century, and it's roots can be traced to the "Battle of the Bees", which took place on October 3, 1780, when a group of 450 British soldiers were attempting to load up supplies from McIntyre's Farm in the Northeast end of Mecklenburg County, until one of the Redcoats unexpectedly turned over a hornet's nest, sending the enraged insects into a angry swarm, causing the British soldiers to elude from them, while the 14 American patriots saw their chance to strike and open fire, causing the British to retreat in a hope that they were under attack from a significantly larger force.  After British general Charles Cornwallis left Charlotte, he would state that Charlotte was "A veritable hornet's nest of rebellion."

Charlotte Hornets Baseball(1901-1973)

The first use of the "Hornets" nickname for Charlotte's sports teams occurred back in 1901, when the Charlotte baseball Hornets, a minor-league baseball team, took the field for the first time.  The Charlotte baseball Hornets was at one point the farm team of the old Washington Senators from 1937-1942 and again from 1947-72 and later the Minnesota Twins from 1961-73.  The team captured 11 league titles, and had many players that played at what was then Clark Griffith Park(later Crockett Park/Knights Park) on Magnolia Avenue in the Historic South End portion of Charlotte, including Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Graig Nettles, and Rick Dempsey.  The team played until 1973 and the Hornets left Charlotte after that season, leaving the city without minor-league baseball until 1976, when the Charlotte O's arrived.  They would eventually become what we know know today as the Charlotte Knights.

Charlotte Hornets football(1974-75)

In 1974, the World Football League's New York Stars would relocate to Charlotte in the 1974 season and played out that remainder of the season as the Charlotte Stars, before changing its name to the Charlotte Hornets, and it was the first major-league team to call Charlotte home.  They played all their games at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Kings Drive.  The team would play until 1975, when the World Football League was ceased to exist.




Charlotte Hornets(1988-2002)

It would take 13 years for Charlotte to secure another major-league franchise, and under the vision of Kannapolis, NC native George Shinn, he would make it happen, transforming Charlotte from a small, sleepy Southern town, into a NBA hotbed.  At one point in time, the franchise was originally going to  be called the Charlotte "Spirit", but many fans didn't like that suggestion at all, so in 1987, he held another "Name-the-Team" contest and "Hornets" was the favorite, since it had a historical significance to our great city.  It would become one of the most popular brands in all of pro sports in the late-1980's and into the 1990's because of its purple and teal color scheme and the uniforms that were designed by Chapel Hill native Alexander Julian, and of course a teal and purple mascot named "Hugo", not to mention players that would become household names, such as Muggsy Bogues, Dell Curry, Kendall Gill, Larry Johnson, Kelly Tripucka, J.R. Reid, Alonzo Mourning, Johnny Newman, Baron Davis, David Wesley, and Jamal Mashburn. The original Hornets sold out 364 straight games at the Charlotte Coliseum off of Tyvola Road, which has since been demolished, and led the league in attendance in eight out of ten years.  But in the team's final years, things didn't go the way things planned for the Charlotte Hornets, and after a referendum was voted down, Shinn and his partner at the time, Ray Woodridge, moved the team from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002, taking the "Hornets" name with them as well.

New Orleans Hornets(2002-2013)

Upon relocating to New Orleans, the team kept the Hornets name, and fans were hungry to finally see NBA basketball return to the "Crescent City", while we fans here in Charlotte went through a long withdrawal without NBA basketball The Hornets made their debut in New Orleans, Louisiana back in 2002, with some of the same players that were held over from the team's final years here in Charlotte.  In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the city, and the devastation was heartbreaking for those in the city, and the team would eventualy play 2 seasons as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, as they played half of their games in Oklahoma City, before returning to New Orleans full-time in 2007.  Then in April of 2012, Tom Benson, who also owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints, bought the team from the NBA(Shinn sold the team to the league in 2010), and hinted at a possible name change to better suit the people of New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana, so he settled on "Pelicans", named after the Louisiana state bird, triggering off discussions of a possible return of the "Hornets" name back home to Charlotte.

The return of the Buzz to Charlotte
 
Once the switch was made in New Orleans, the talk about Charlotte possibly getting the Hornets name back swirled throughout not only the city, but throughout North and South Carolina as well. A grassroots movement called "Bring Back the Buzz" was launched to urge the Bobcats to take back the "Hornets" name, while over the last few months, and weeks, many ex-Charlotte Hornets players announced that they would go "All in" and back the name change from Bobcats to Hornets. Then on May 21st of this year, Bobcats chairman Michael Jordan announced that the organization filed an application to the NBA league office to change the franchise's name from the Bobcats to the Hornets, and NBA deputy commissioner/commissioner-designate Adam Silver said repeatedly that he sees no problem with the league approving the name change since the league owns the rights to the "Charlotte Hornets" name, and it could take 18 months to make the change official, as the league's Board of Governors will vote on this matter tomorrow.

And there you have it, a somewhat abridged history of the "Hornets" name and its connections to Charlotte as we await the much-anticipated stamp of approval by the NBA Board of Governors tomorrow to give us the green light to change the name of the franchise from the Charlotte Bobcats to the Charlotte Hornets in time for the 2014-15 season.

Special Comment: I am mad and upset that we missed out on getting the #1 pick in the draft.

And now at the request of my friend and "Boss" Jake Cook, another "Special Comment" about why the Charlotte Bobcats didn't get the number 1 pick and settling for the 4th pick and why are we not getting any love in the lottery over the last couple of seasons.  Last week we once again entered the dreaded NBA Draft  Lottery hoping that we would get the #1 pick on the same night that Michael Jordan announced that he was changing the team's name to the Charlotte Hornets in the 2014-15 campaign. We were keeping our fingers crossed hoping that we would get the top pick overall, but we settled for a disappointing 4th as the Cleveland Cavaliers locked up the top spot and continuing our so-called curse of not getting the top pick.  I WAS SO MAD, I WAS ABOUT TO FLIP OVER MY CHAIR AND CURSE THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT OUT OF THIS OUTRAGE THAT TOOK PLACE ON TUESDAY NIGHT ONCE THE DRAFT LOTTERY ENDED! IT WAS DISAPPOINTING, HURTFUL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY UPSETTING THAT THIS TEAM, THE CHARLOTTE BOBCATS DID NOT GET THE COVETED TOP PICK IN THE NBA DRAFT! THIS IS THE REASON WHY WE AREN'T GETTING ANY LOVE WHEN WE ENTER THE NBA DRAFT LOTTERY AFTER ONE DISAPPOINTING SEASON TOO MANY, LIKE THIS SEASON WHEN WE FINISHED A DISMAL 21-61 THUS ENDING THE FAILED EXPERIMENT OF MIKE DUNLAP!

THE DRAFT LOTTERY HAS NOT TREATED US WELL OVER THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I AM SO SICK OF NOT SEEING US AT THE NUMBER ONE SPOT IN THIS MESS KNOWN AS THE NBA DRAFT LOTTERY AND AS A FAN, I AM STILL DISAPPOINTED IN NOT GETTING THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL PICK. HECK, IF WE DID HAD THAT PICK, WE WOULD BE SITTING ON TOP OF THE BASKETBALL UNIVERSE, BUT NO! WE ARE STILL A BUNCH OF "CELLAR-DWELLERS"! CELLAR-DWELLERS, YOU UNDERSTAND! WE ARE ALWAYS NEAR THE BOTTOM OR AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE WHENEVER WE HAVE A LOSING SEASON, THAT'S A CASE THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING HERE IN CHARLOTTE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND AS A FAN OF THIS TEAM SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THAT CHANCE!

I am still not sold on us getting that 4th pick in the NBA Draft, and as a fan, it makes no sense that this draft lottery that took place on Tuesday was absolutely rigged so the Cleveland Cavaliers can steal that spot and put another dent in our misery when we enter the NBA Draft Lottery because of those ping-pong balls that tell us if our team will improve or fail in the next season, and once the verdict came down for us, it was going to be another long failing season.  IN MY WORLD, IT WAS COMPLETELY A DISGRACEFUL DISAPPOINTING DRAFT LOTTERY BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL LOOKING AT US AS THE LAUGHINGSTOCK OF THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, A TITLE WE'VE BEEN HAVING SINCE 2004, AND HECK, THE LOTTERY WAS RIGGED LAST YEAR AND IT WAS AGAIN LAST WEEK! LOOK AT THE 2012 DRAFT LOTTERY, WE HOPED TO GET THE NUMBER ONE PICK, BUT NOOO! IT WAS TOM BENSON, WHO TOOK OVER THE NOW NEW ORLEANS PELICANS THAT WANTED TO GET THAT PICK AND RUB IT IN OUR FACE! THIS YEAR, IT WAS "LITTLE NICKY" GILBERT, SON OF DAN GILBERT THAT WANTED TO CONTINUE THE BOBCATS MISERY OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THAT TOP SPOT IN THE NBA DRAFT LOTTERY!

The drama that took place on Tuesday was a disaster for us, but let's hope we can put that 4th pick in the NBA Draft to good use.  Good Night, and Good Luck.

Special Comment: Why the Bobcats deserved to get blamed for the firing of Mike Dunlap.

And now at the request of Jake Cook, a "Special Comment" on how I feel about the firing of Mike Dunlap and how it has become a mess for the Charlotte Bobcats.  After watching last Wednesday night's win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular-season finale, the Charlotte Bobcats avoided being "The worst team in the NBA", and what did they do to deserve it, firing a man who was only 1 year into his first experience as an NBA head coach, and as a fan of this team, it was uncalled for, distasteful, and down right ridiculous.

It was so ridiculous, a lot of the fans were showing their disbelief on the message boards saying that "This team is a joke, we're still not supporting them anymore", and "I'll never root for this team until this team becomes the "Hornets" once again!"  Those are the words coming from a fanbase that's been dubbed "The worst fan base in the NBA" in a city like Charlotte, a city that's primarily dominated by the NFL's Carolina Panthers and the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers, but this city is still one of the worst NBA cities in the league since the downfall of yes, the Charlotte Hornets back in 2002.  This is one of the worst publicity moves I have seen as a fan, and I am mad, upset, and angry at what they did last week! IT WAS SO DOWN RIGHT PATHETIC, PATHETIC WITH A CAPITAL "P"!  YOU SIR, MR. DUNLAP HAD NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER OF BEING A FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH WITH NO NBA COACHING EXPERIENCE, JUST LIKE SAM VINCENT, HE HAD NO DARN BUSINESS OF RUNNING A TEAM INTO THE GROUND JUST LIKE YOU DID, MR. DUNLAP! YOU HAD EXPECTATIONS OF TURNING THINGS AROUND THIS PAST SEASON, BUT WHAT I SAW WAS A TEAM GIVING UP ON EACH OTHER, AND ITS FANS NOT SHOWING ANY LOVE FOR YOU IN YOUR FIRST YEAR AS AN NBA COACH!  IT WAS YOUR FAULT THAT THE FANS DIDN'T WARM UP TO YOU THIS PAST SEASON, AND THE WAY I SEE IT IS THAT YOU DESERVED TO GET THE BLAME AROUND HERE AFTER A DISAPPOINTING 21-61 MARK IN YOUR FIRST YEAR AS AN NBA COACH!

Another person that we should blame for this mess is of course, Michael Jordan, YOU HAD NO BUSINESS OF FIRING DUNLAP IN THE FIRST PLACE! WHAT YOU DID EARLIER THIS WEEK  WAS UNCALLED FOR AND I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED IN WHAT YOU DID TO FIRE DUNLAP SINCE I KNEW THAT DUNLAP WAS GOING TO FAIL IN HIS FIRST FULL SEASON AS A COACH IN THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION COACHING 82 REGULAR SEASON GAMES THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN CAPITALIZED INTO WINS! W-I-N-S,  BUT NOOOOOO! THEY DIDN'T THINK AS A TEAM, THEY DIDN'T PLAY HARD AS A TEAM, HECK, ALL THEY WANTED TO DO IS LOSE AS A TEAM!

LOOK AT WHAT YOUR FAN BASE IS DOING THESE DAYS, THEY'VE BEEN PRAYING AND HOPING THAT THIS CITY GETS THE "HORNETS" NAME BACK AS PART OF A GROWING CRUSADE CALLED "BRING BACK THE BUZZ", WHILE OTHERS HAVE DECIDED TO SHOW THEIR LOYALTY TO THIS CITY'S HOCKEY TEAM, THE CHECKERS SINCE THEY CARE ABOUT WINNING IN THIS TOWN, A TOWN THAT HAS BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN A MINOR-LEAGUE SPORTS TOWN THESE DAYS, OVERSHADOWING BY THE NFL'S CAROLINA PANTHERS, AND NASCAR, BUT WE BOBCATS FANS KNOW THAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!  WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT BY FINDING A COACH THAT CAN LAY DOWN THE LAW NIGHT IN AND NIGHT OUT NEXT SEASON SO WE CAN GET A DIFFERENT RESULT AND FINDING A COACH THAT CAN GET OUR PLAYERS A CHANCE TO PLAY HARD FOR THE CITY THEY PLAY FOR ON THE FRONT ON THE JERSEY!

IN CLOSING, THIS FIRING HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE TO SWALLOW, BUT I BELIEVE, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THIS TEAM KNOWN AS THE CHARLOTTE BOBCATS CAN LOOK THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR COME DRAFT TIME, ONCE THEY GET A NEW COACH IN PLACE, AND THEY BETTER PLAY HARD IN THE 2013-14 SEASON....OR ELSE!  GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK!

Special Comment: How I feel after last night's Draft lottery disaster

And now, as requested by Jake Cook, a "Special Comment" about how I feel about the Bobcats not getting that #1 pick in the NBA Draft.

I'm not going to say much about this "Special Comment", but I'm going to keep it short, and simple.

Last night, me and my long-time partner of 22 years, Jake Cook, were at the NBA Draft Lottery Open House that was hosted at Time Warner Cable Arena by the Bobcats, and things were looking up for us that night, but when we got to the top 3 in the lottery, we were keeping our fingers crossed, and keeping our good luck charms tight, hoping that we would get that top spot, but we...were....screwed.

I feel kinda bummed like all of us Bobcats fans that were hoping we would get the top pick, and I for one blame the National Basketball Association for working out a DUMB DEAL with Tom Benson for giving him the number one pick in his so-called quest to find a way to keep the guy who considered to be his secret "Good-Luck Charm", quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, and do you want to know why I feel bummed, IT'S ALL THE LEAGUE'S FAULT! THEY WERE IN CAHOOTS WITH TOM BENSON FOR GETTING THE TEAM THAT HE WILL SOON OWN, THE TOP PICK AND ULTIMATELY TAKE THAT MONEY FROM THAT BOUNTY HE PLACED ON THE BOBCATS TO HURT OUR FEELINGS LAST NIGHT SO WE CAN JUST WALK AWAY IN DISBELIEF KNOWING THAT WE HAD A 25% CHANCE TO WIN THE STUPID DRAFT LOTTERY IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT NO! THEY HAD THIS TO SAY IN PRIVATE, AND I QUOTE:

"After tonight, Charlotte will never and I repeat never be an NBA town again once we give the New Orleans Hornets that top pick so Mr. Benson can collect the money from our bounty and place it in the 'Keep Drew Brees a Saint' fund. Then we can go out there and injure every single remaining Charlotte basketball fan and player next season."

THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID. WE SHOULD BE ANGRY AT THE LEAGUE FOR SCREWING UP THE DRAFT LOTTERY IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE WE ALL KNEW THAT TOM BENSON CALLED MR. STERN YESTERDAY AND SAID THE WORDS I JUST QUOTED BECAUSE THEY HAD A BOUNTY PLAN IN PLACE TO MAKE US SICK TO OUR STOMACHS SO THEY CAN COME IN AND HURT US ONCE THE NBA SEASON BEGINS. Is that too much to ask? IS THAT TOO EFFIN' MUCH TO ASK?

IF YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT THE LEAGUE SAID IN THURSDAY'S DRAFT LOTTERY, YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF "Why did we got stung by a team, who called this city home from 1988-2002, with a grassroots movement to get the name back for good, steal our prized possession in the draft lottery?"  THAT'S WHAT WE THINK THE LEAGUE SAID.  MAYBE WE SHOULD START UP A BOUNTY OF OUR OWN TO GET SOME REVENGE ONCE THE HORNETS GET THEIR SO-CALLED PRIZED POSSESSION IN ANTHONY DAVIS, BUT FOR US, SOME THINK WE MAY BE CRAZY TO SET UP THIS BOUNTY, BUT HECK, IF IT DID, WE WOULD SHOW THE WORLD WHO SHOULD'VE BEEN RECEIVING THE TOP PICK IN THE DRAFT, AND THAT TEAM WAS THE CHARLOTTE BOBCATS.


WE SHOULD ALL BE ANGRY AT THE LEAGUE FOR WHAT THEY DID TO SCREW US FROM GETTING THAT #1 PICK, AND WE SHOULD REMAIN ANGRY FOR THE REST OF THE SUMMER.  Now, word on the street is that they have a "Buy this season, Get next season free" season-ticket deal, and some of the fairweather fans that are just hoping that this city fails again in being an NBA city, YEAH I'M TALKING TO YOU, THE ONES THAT STILL BELIEVE THAT CHARLOTTE HAS BEEN A SO-CALLED "MINOR-LEAGUE" SPORTS TOWN WITH A LITTLE NFL AND NASCAR ACTION THROWN IN, SHOULD JUST GET OVER IT! That's all I have to say about that.

Thomas has been impressive off Bobcats bench this season

Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooo Bobcats Fans! I'm back once again to give you my take on what's happening around the "Bobcat Nation". If you have been watching our Charlotte Bobcats play this season like I've been, you might have seen some strong play off our bench by a guy we fans would like to call "T-Time", Tyrus Thomas, who in my opinion is our star player off Larry Brown's bench this season.

When this organization acquired him from Chicago last season for Flip Murray and Acie Law IV, he was just the spark we needed last season in making it to our first playoff appearance in our history, and to me, Thomas has been the spark we needed when he comes off the bench for any game, and for those of us who constantly follow this team day in and day out, he and the rest of our reserves truly mean a difference in winning a game or losing one.

Of course you know, I always check out the stats daily to see who's hot and who's not in the NBA, and if you take a closer look at what Thomas has been doing in the Top 5 statwise for the Bobcats this season, he has been the one to watch night in and night out for a young Bobcat team that is currently sitting at 4-7 so far this season, and as the saying would go: "The numbers don't lie" and they surely don't lie for Thomas so far in our first 11 games of the year for our Charlotte Bobcats, if you know what I mean.

He is currently 5th in points per game for the Bobcats with an average of 12.1 ppg, and he's the second-leading rebounder for us, averaging 6.10 rebounds per game, behind our leading rebounder, Gerald Wallace, who leads the team with 8.30 rebounds per game. He had his best game in a Bobcat uniform back in our season opening loss in Dallas to the Mavericks, in which he scored 22 points to lead Charlotte.

And on top of all that, Michael Jordan, wanted to make sure Thomas wanted to stay in Charlotte after what happened this past off-season when Raymond Felton was let go, and Jordan did deliver on his promise by signing him to a 5-year deal to keep him in a Bobcat uniform, and as fans, Thomas is a guy we would like to see more often, whenever he's starting a game or in his usual role off the bench, and to me, whenever he takes the floor, you know that it's always "T-Time" in Charlotte.

Until next time, this is LaMichael Mitchell, You stay classy, Bobcats Nation!

Home struggles have been very hard on the Bobcats

Helloooooooooooooooooooooo Bobcats fans! I'm happy to be here on Bobcats Break this season to talk about your hometown Charlotte Bobcats, as well as stuff around the NBA. Today, I'll be talking about the struggles of trying to win a game at home so far this season.

During the first 4 games of the 2010-11 home schedule that's been played so far this year at Time Warner Cable Arena, we had some good opportunities to win at home, but it hasn't been kind for us here in the Bobcat Nation.

As Bobcats fans, we all know that the saying is "Winning begins at home" and we took it to task last season, when we managed to win a franchise-best 31 home games at "The Cable Box" during our historic run to the NBA Playoffs, but in the 7 years that I've been a dedicated fan of this organization, I know that we can overcome adversity to get on the right track to win at home this season.

Of course, we did have some heartbreaking losses in the first 4 home games of the year. Take the Utah game for example last Saturday, we had a good lead entering the 4th Quarter, but in the end, we saw it disappear right before our very eyes as the Jazz escaped out of Charlotte with a win over our beloved Bobcats, and we've always found ways to comeback in the final quarter of regulation or even Overtime to pull out a "W" when we're defending our home court against some good teams in the NBA.

It's only November, and a lot can change for this team as the 2010-11 season progresses for the Charlotte Bobcats, but hey, we can achieve to win a game at home night in and night out in order to do what this year's theme states: "Win As One". Well, that's all I have for now, until next time, You stay classy, Bobcat Nation!

Bobcats Extra: Jordan's Open Letter

After taking over the Charlotte Bobcats last Thursday, new Majority Owner Michael Jordan said that he wants to get it back to the way it should be, referring to the days when Charlotte's first NBA franchise, the Charlotte Hornets, sold out the Charlotte Coliseum for 344 consecutive games and led the league in attendance for 8 out of 9 seasons during their 14 year run in Charlotte.

Yesterday in the Charlotte Observer, Jordan wrote an Open Letter to the City of Charlotte talking about what he wants to do to bring the people of this city to support the Bobcats down the stretch on the road towards possibly their first ever Playoff appearance in their 6-year history. In it, Jordan said that he is here to "Build a legacy as a owner by turning this into a model franchise that's focused on winning and creating a great fan experience."

One of those two goals are being met as we speak, as the Bobcats are currently 35-34 and are in 7th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Jordan also went on to say that "I want to build a connection between this team and this community." in which the Bobcats are mostly active throughout North and South Carolina and he wanted the fans of the Charlotte Bobcats to join him on this journey by saying "Owning this team is my number one priority. I will do that by putting a winning team on the floor, making the experience at a Bobcats game memorable, and I want you to be a proud supporter of the Bobcats."

These reasons that Michael Jordan talked about in yesterday's open letter truly meant that he wants the people of Charlotte to get behind their Bobcats in the final 13 games of the season and be there at Time Warner Cable Arena, where Jordan wants to get it back to the days of when the Coliseum was the place to be during the Hornet years and if he commits to doing it, Jordan could cement his name as one of the NBA's best owners down the road.

Bobcats Extra: Jordan wants to lead by example as Bobcats owner

After much speculation and weeks of planning, the Charlotte Bobcats are now in the hands of one Michael Jeffrey Jordan. The NBA's Board of Governors approved his purchase of the team from Bob Johnson yesterday for $250 million, after reaching a deal to buy the team last month, and now the next chapter in the history of Charlotte Bobcats Basketball has commenced and it was already commenced last night, when the Bobcats gave Jordan his first win as their new owner by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a press conference that was held today at Time Warner Cable Arena, Johnson said that "Today the similar event you'll always remember is when Michael Jordan becomes the new majority owner of the Bobcats." says Johnson, the teams outgoing owner who founded the team back in 2003. "Michael, you got to come down to Charlotte, and I'll tell you now, it was the best decision I've ever made for the Charlotte Bobcats." Johnson said.

Jordan became a part of the Bobcats family back in 2006 and over the last couple of seasons, Jordan has made some good and bad moves, which included 3 good moves during his time, bringing in Hall of Fame Head Coach Larry Brown, trading to get Stephen Jackson and just recently, bringing in Tyrus Thomas and Theo Ratliff, and some of his bad moves included hiring Sam Vincent and drafting Adam Morrison.

In his first remarks as the team's new boss, Jordan says "I love the game of Basketball, I grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, went to the University of North Carolina, and I basically established myself as a kid leaving home, and here I am, back home in North Carolina." says Jordan, "It's a dream come true for me. I am dedicated to do that and I am looking for any way to get it back to the way it should be."

During the first 5 years of the team's existence, the Bobcats had been somewhat cellar-dwellers, but let's fast forward to this season. Charlotte is on the verge of breaking through in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they hold on to the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference.

"I think we've made a lot of great strides, getting to the Playoffs, that's the goal, and I just want the city to experience what winning is all about." Jordan quoted, "Making the playoffs sets a certain standard. Each and every time you meet a certain plateau. Once I make the Playoffs, I want to go deep into the playoffs."

Cason's Commentary: Checking Out the Scene

We have got another installment of "Cason's Commentary" from Brittney Cason over at Bobcats Break, and in this edition, she talks about the atmosphere at a Bobcats game. And as always, "The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, its staff, management, or ownership."

I remember my first Bobcats game. It was both mine and the Bobcats first year in Charlotte – and it was my first NBA game… ever. I was scheduled to work my part-time gig at the time, but my friend invited me to the game with the lure of really good seats and promise of nachos. So, I faked a sickness and utilized a sick day I’d been hording to go to the game. And considering from that point on, I have coined going to the games as my “favorite thing to do in Charlotte,” I feel as though I had just cause.

The games are a good time from the very beginning. For starters, the Bobcats have quite a dramatic introduction (I only wish people got that excited whenever I entered into a room). The lights in the whole arena go dark, the music and the tone in the announcer’s voice intensify and a cinematic video highlight reel begins. But this not your typical video introduction featuring a mish mash of highlights or fire balls shooting unnecessarily across the screen. The Bobcats introduction video can only be described as epic – a mini movie that pumps excitement into the air and sets the scene for the entire night.
With that said, let me also point out the game starts at 7 p.m., not 7:30. So if you want to see for yourself what a great moment the introductions are (and believe me, they live up to the hype)… you should plan to arrive on time.

On this night, one of the timeout promotions was the “hug it out” cam. During this game, they zoomed in on some couples, pairs of pals, and some Storm Troopers (present for a Star Wars promotion) who had to give each other a hug on camera… and guess what, I got busted too. There I was on the jumbotron, staring at the jumbotron. And I think I spent most of the second quarter of the game responding to texts from friends scattered throughout the arena who saw me.

Halftime goes really fast in basketball, too fast for my liking. I hadn’t even made it up to Front Court (bar/restaurant inside the arena) before the game started again, and I was having so much fun I didn’t want to return to my seats. In fact, I never did return to my seats as I made my rounds around the arena. Because the arena is like a playground; every section has its own form of entertainment. There’s even an actual playground for little kids in the upper level. My friends had to caution me that I was too big for the activities.

Last call in the arena is the third quarter, but not at Front Court on the Founders level that hosts the arena’s postgame party on weekend games – and considering we’ve won every home game thus far, there is a purpose to party. Front Court has become a bit of a Charlotte scene – and there were a lot of people seen on it. Check out my photo gallery and see if you were seen on the scene.

Brittney's gallery can be viewed HERE.

Cason's Commentary: Let the fun begin

As you recall last year, we invited Brittney Cason, one of Charlotte's most talked about writers to become a part of the BobcatZone team. This season, she's writing for our partners over at Bobcats Break and she'll also do some contributions to this blog as well. In this first installment of "Cason's Commentary", she talked about the experience of being at a Bobcats game, and as always, "The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Brittney Cason, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Charlotte Bobcats, its staff, management, or ownership."


I love basketball season… not necessarily because I am an avid basketball fan, but because I just really like going to the arena. It’s a show, a sporting event and party all under one roof; an arena of entertainment. And lucky for me (and Charlotte), last Friday was the season home opener against the Knicks.I got to the arena just in time to hear Anthony Hamilton sing the national anthem – and to show my hat head off to the people seated in my section. Once I sat down I didn’t want to get back up. There are so many attractions during the games with the action on the court, on Bobcats TV and in the stands. Before I knew it, it was halftime and BREAKSK8 from MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew were breaking, and breaking it down on the court … on roller-skates.


Meanwhile, Michael Jordan was sitting on the player’s bench and there were some points where I thought he was going to jump up and start playing!


For the second half I went on my own arena exploration. I hit the Back Court, Rock the Rooftop, the and Front Court (all social hang outs with bars and great atmosphere). Because it’s not just about the game, it’s also about the gathering… with a side of arena food and giant beers. Each area has a different vibe – Rock the Rooftop is more like a tavern, while Front Court on the Founder’s level is more like an upscale lounge & restaurant with a full bar, dinner buffet, and DJ (who’s there on all Friday and Saturday night games).


Now, back to game . There’s so much free stuff to win… like t-shirts. Lots and lots of t-shirts. They gave out t-shirts to fans upon entering the arena, meanwhile the Lady Cats threw shirts out during time outs, with Bruce Springsteen tickets in them. And don’t think the people in the upper level get left out; Rufus and the Cats Crew fire up t-shirts with sling shots and t-shirt cannons. The Lady Cats were also giving away three-pound pretzels known as the Victory Knot. My friends were jumping up and down along with all the little kids in the arena trying to win one because they bet me I couldn’t eat one by myself. I agreed to their bet in attempt to hang tough, but luckily they didn’t actually win the monstrosity of a pretzel so I didn’t have to undergo an attack of carbohydrates.


When the game did eventually end, I stalled exiting the arena. Not just to watch the Rhythm Cats playing by the exit, but for the post game party at the Front Court Bar. Games are typically over at 9 – 9:30 p.m., which is a weird time in nightlife where its too early to go out to a bar, but too late to go home and come back out. So the Bobcats alleviate that problem and occupy you in the interim as Front Court is after the game.


All in all, the Bobcats won their season opener (in exciting fashion…double overtime!), but even if they had lost, you could still walk away from the arena feeling like you won … because regardless you’ll have a fun night if you attend the games. Larry Brown orchestrates a good game and the Bobcats orchestrate a good time over all.


I’ll see you at the next party…er, I mean, game.

-Brittney

We will post some of Brittney's commentaries here regularly on this blog as the season progresses as a part of our commitment to give you her opinions of the experience at a Bobcats game.