Charlotte Hornets All-Time Team, Starting Five and Bench

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Feb 13, 2017; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) goes up for a shot in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Spectrum Center. The 76ers defeated the Hornets 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

The Charlotte Hornets don’t have the storied history of teams like the Lakers, Celtics, or Bulls, but they’ve had some quality players. If we were to assemble an All-Star team of past and present greats, who would make the cut?

It was 30 years ago this month (April 5th, to be exact), that Charlotte was awarded its first NBA team. A lot of players have come and gone during that time. Some have been great. Some have been not-so-great. However, let’s focus on the crème de la crème, the best of the best. Which players make the team of the Charlotte Hornets’ All-Time Greats?

I will be doing this by starting five and then I will include bench players. I will not include players from the New Orleans Hornets, though if they were on the Charlotte Hornets prior to the team moving, I will include them. Yes, that means no Chris Paul. I will also include players from the Bobcats teams. The emphasis here is on Charlotte, first and foremost. I could skip them, but some of those players still play (or have played) for the new Hornets. Alright, so let’s get started.

Point Guard: Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker… duh. In just his sixth season in Charlotte, he has already moved up to second all-time in scoring in Charlotte history. He needs just 1,703 points to become first all-time, overtaking Dell Curry. It’s safe to assume he’ll do it at this pace. Not to mention, he’s also 13th in team history in total rebounds and third all-time in assists. Provided he stays, he’ll likely become the greatest Charlotte player ever.

Shooting Guard: Dell Curry

Gotta go with Dell Curry, even just for longevity’s sake. He spent 10 years in Charlotte and is the team’s all-time leading scorer. Oddly enough, even though he’s starting here, he usually came off the bench. In fact, he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in the 1993-1994 season. Still, given his time in Charlotte and the fact that he’s probably the most consistent shooting guard Charlotte’s ever had, he deserves a spot.

Small Forward: Gerald Wallace

We’re gonna go with Gerald Wallace here. He’s third all-time in scoring and rebounding and was the Bobcats’ lone All-Star, coming in the 2009-2010 season. That season was also the first time the Bobcats made the playoffs in their brief history. Wallace averaged 18.2 points and 10 rebounds per game that year, helping give some much-needed attention to Charlotte again.

Power Forward: Larry Johnson

I think Larry Johnson is the obvious pick here. LJ is fourth all-time in points, second in rebounds, and surprisingly, sixth in assists. Johnson also won Rookie of the Year in 1992 and quickly became a fan favorite of Charlotte with his shoe commercials and “Grandmama” personality. He also became an All-Star in the ’94-’95 season.

Center: Alonzo Mourning

This one is kind of tough. Emeka Okafor is the all-time team leader in rebounds and has more points than Alonzo Mourning, but Mourning only played three seasons with Charlotte. Okafor played five. Given that Mourning had a much better career and was a better scorer than Okafor, I’m gonna go with Mourning.

‘Zo averaged over 21 points per game in all three years in Charlotte and averaged 10 rebounds a game in nearly all three years as well (9.9 in ’94-’95). Mourning is also the all-time leader in blocks for Charlotte. He and Johnson both were instrumental in the team becoming a competitor in the East back in the mid 90’s.

And now, the reserves…

Charlotte Hornets All-Time Team

By Elijah Edwards | Apr 28, 2017