HORNETS GO MARCHING IN THE POPULAR FRENCH QUARTER OF NEW ORLEANS IS THE CITY’S OLDEST NEIGHBORHOOD HORNETS GO MARCHING IN 8
When it comes to celebrations it’s hard to top what happens in the city of New Orleans Louisiana Located on the delta of the Mississippi River as it pours into the Gulf of Mexico New Orleans is known for its annual Mardi Gras festival which draws thousands of tourists to its famous French Quarter district The Big Easy is also noted for its unique cuisine and as the birthplace of jazz for its music Hardly a day goes by that the city isn’t buzzing with energy and excitement Adding to this energy is the town’s love for professional sports especially basketball In the 1970s New Orleans was the home of a National Basketball Association NBA team appropriately named the Jazz But that team moved to Utah in 1979 More than two decades later when the NBA needed to revitalize a struggling franchise with a change J R REID 9
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA FORWARD J R REID WAS THE HORNETS FIFTH PICK IN 1989 of scenery the league looked to New Orleans In 2002 a team called the Hornets arrived Although it eventually changed its name to the Pelicans it brought with it a 14-season history built to the east in Charlotte North Carolina The Charlotte Hornets were born at a time when the NBA’s popularity was at its zenith Flush with big stars and abundant fan support in the late 1980s the league looked to expand into new markets In 1988 two expansion franchises were added to the league including one in Charlotte the Miami Heat was the other team The NBA enabled the pair of new teams to build their rosters through an expansion draft in which they were allowed to select unprotected players from existing franchises After the Heat selected first the Hornets used the second pick to take young shooting guard Dell Curry from the Cleveland Cavaliers Although most of the original Hornets players were either past their prime or inexperienced as Charlotte’s first season unfolded fans appreciated the play of veteran point guard Tyrone Muggsy Bogues a 5-foot-3 offensive spark plug They also cheered the team’s first acquisition from the college ranks guard Rex Chapman Rex can shoot he can drive and he can jump out of the gym noted Charlotte 10
Identity Crisis When the New Orleans Jazz moved to Utah in 1979 many people thought the team should change its name Jazz music is an important part of the culture in New Orleans but not necessarily in Salt Lake City When the Charlotte Hornets flew to the Bayou in 2002 that team also kept its nickname But even that had significance to its former city During the American Revolutionary War after British general Charles Cornwallis captured Charlotte the city’s citizens wreaked so much havoc upon the English army by firing at soldiers as they went out for supplies that Cornwallis was reported to have said There’s a rebel behind every bush It’s a veritable nest of hornets More than 200 years later the city proudly bestowed the name on its new NBA franchise In 2013 owner Tom Benson decided his team needed to better represent the city in which it played and the New Orleans Pelicans named after a water bird native to the wetlands of the Gulf Coast region were born The pelican is a symbol for our city and region and we’re excited to start a new era in Louisiana basketball history Benson said COURTSIDE STORIES Identity Crisis 11
