Welcome to Buzz City Beat, Swarm and Sting’s daily roundup of the latest and greatest stories surrounding the Charlotte Hornets.
The Charlotte Hornets are coming off of their fourth consecutive loss at the hands of the Sacramento Kings. In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist talking about the new Jordan performance sneaker, Marco Belinelli fulfilling expectations, and DeMarcus Cousins and Spencer Hawes getting into a scuffle.
MKG Talks Jordan B.Fly
“I’m honored and I’m blessed to wear a shoe that fits me and only me,” Kidd-Gilchrist says before adding, with a nod to his small audience, “my mom and my grandmom love it.” The Jordan B.Fly has an injected phylon midsole with zoom air in the forefront, built to allow for quicker change in direction—something key for MKG’s game, on the defensive end in particular.” (SlamOnline.com)
MKG is now the leading face for the new Jordan B.Fly and he is expected to wear them in each game for the remainder of the season. With Michael Jordan owning the Hornets, that close relationship has led many of the players to sign with the Jordan brand. It is probably only a matter of time before MKG or Kemba Walker gets a signature shoe.
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- Will the Charlotte Hornets be in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery?
Marco Belinelli Fulfilling Expectations
“The Kings traded Belinelli to the Charlotte Hornets for No. 22 pick Malachi Richardson in a draft-day deal last June. While Richardson only recently has joined the Kings’ rotation, Belinelli has been the player the Kings hoped he’d be – for the Hornets.” (SacBee.com)
When the Kings acquired Marco, they hoped that he would be a reliable three-point threat off the bench. A year later, and he is exactly that but for the Hornets. Steve Clifford has brought out the best in Belinelli and the change of scenery from Sacramento to Charlotte was a move that revitalized his career. Now he is fulfilling the expectations of being a consistent scorer and sixth man.
Cousins and Hawes Get into a Scuffle
“While walking away from the basket, he bumped Hawes with his shoulder. Hawes didn’t receive it lightly, returning the gesture with a push to Cousins’ lower back. That kicked off a high-tension moment that resulted in a spirited debate.” (BleacherReport.com)
Next: Making a Trade for Carmelo Anthony
Boogie is known for his short temper and Spencer isn’t one to back down. DeMarcus gave Hawes a shoulder check and the Charlotte Hornets’ big man took exception so he gave Cousins a shove back. The funniest part was people saying Spencer tried to touch Boogie’s butt. (LOL) After the small scuffle, each player received a technical foul.