Music and basketball go hand in hand, most ball players want to be rappers and most rappers want to play ball. Living in Charlotte, it is very much so a basketball city. The only problem is that they have not had much to root for in a very long time and that is because of the Charlotte Bobcats.
Before the Charlotte Bobcats, there was the Charlotte Hornets and they were probably the most-popular team in the NBA. Rising from one of the worst teams in the NBA, by the late 1990s, the Charlotte Hornets were a playoff team. Over the years, the Hornets were home to Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Baron Davis, and Muggsy Bogues.
The Charlotte Hornets were much more than a good basketball team. They were the heart and soul of North Carolina sports. Hip hop embraced the franchise, with rappers at the time rocking the teal and television shows referencing their players. Even recently, Kendrick Lamar referenced the Hornets in his lyrics.
Unfortunately for North Carolina basketball fans, the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans. Over the past eleven years, the Hornets have lived on in New Orleans, meanwhile the Bobcats took over Charlotte. NBA enthusiasts hardly call it a fair trade, because of the failures of the Charlotte Bobcats. Despite the frequent losing, they got the Michael Jordan ownership and the downtown arena that caused the Hornets to leave back in 2002. The Hornets had a rich history in Charlotte, as Master P tried out for the team.
Now, the healing can finally begin, because the Charlotte Hornets make their return to the court in 2014, ten years after the Bobcats first appeared.
Watch the ESPN report about the Charlotte Hornets below:
Watch the Charlotte Hornets in the 1993 NBA Playoffs below:
Watch Master P playing for the Charlotte Hornets below:
