Who are the Ten Greatest Charlotte Hornets of All-Time?

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Oct 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; The basketball court for the Charlotte Hornets sports the new logo before the opening home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

8.) Anthony Mason

Mason is another example of a short, but impactful stint with the Hornets. His first season in Charlotte, 1996-97, was his best. Mase put up his best numbers in all five major counting stat categories: 16.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1 steal, and 0.5 blocks. Granted, he played a career high and league leading 43.1 minutes per night, but still. In fact, even after adjusting for pace and playing time, 1996-97 was the peak of Mason’s career. After the regular season, Mason was named to the All-NBA 3rd and All-NBA Defensive 2nd teams.

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Mason’s efforts contributed to winning basketball on the court as well; the Hornets won 54 games in ’96-97, a franchise record that still stands. Unfortunately for Charlotte, the Eastern Conference was remarkably strong in 1997. The Hornets’ 54 wins were good enough just for the sixth seed, and a first-round matchup with the Knicks. New York swept the series.

When considering Anthony Mason’s place in Hornets history, I initially hesitated to include him in this list. After all, he was a 6’7″ tweener in an era where tweener was a derogatory mark in a player’s scouting report, not the high praise it is today. Though he had his best seasons in Charlotte, Mase was a career role player who simply played his role well.

What ultimately convinced me that he belongs is just how much he contributed to winning during the Hornets’ most successful era. Despite not being amongst the 10 players who played the most games or minutes in a Hornets uniform, Mason accumulated the 5th most Win Shares in team history. He rates similarly well in all advanced statistics that measure a player’s impact on winning.