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Charlotte Hornets: Top-10 Moments of 2016 for Buzz City

By Jerry Stephens

Dec 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) laughs with guard Nicolas Batum (5) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) laughs with guard Nicolas Batum (5) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard forward Nicolas Batum (5) enters the arena prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard forward Nicolas Batum (5) enters the arena prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Charlotte Re-Signs Nicolas Batum Amid Plenty of Interest

July 1st, 2016

There were a number of high-profile teams interested in Nic Batum this past summer but he decided to return to Charlotte on a five-year, $120 million deal. This contract was not only big because of the player but it also showed the rest of the league that the Hornets could keep star-levelish players. Re-Signing Batum was the team’s top priority entering free agency and they were able to get the contract signed without Nic even meeting with other teams.

That just shows how strong their pitch was to Batum. They brought Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Dallas to meet with Nic along with the team’s president, Rich Cho, and Michael Jordan was on the phone. They pulled out all the stops in order to get his signature and they accomplished their objective in one short meeting.

This was the biggest signing for the Hornets since Al Jefferson signed with Charlotte. If they would’ve lost Batum in free agency, it would’ve been back to step one for them. Nic helped the franchise reach the postseason and almost brought them out of the first round for the first time in over a decade. His play was a large reason as to why they were successful and bringing him back was the most important step they made in the summer of 2016.

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