The two teams that share the Queen City, the Charlotte Hornets and the Carolina Panthers, have more in common than you think.
Charlotte is home to two professional teams. One being the Carolina Panthers of the NFL and the other being the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. Despite playing two different sports, the two teams have quite a bit in common.
Heart
Keep Pounding and Buzz City. Keep pounding represents giving everything you’ve got whether you actually play for the Panthers or not. Buzz City represents the city with pride. After the Bobcats regime, the city was rekindled with this special kind of pride in the great city of Charlotte.
The Hornets coming back gave us heart and a background with a new, and quite different history than most other cities. The culture of the Charlotte sports teams is a big reason why our teams are so easy to love and keep up with.
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Spiritual Leaders
Kemba and Cam are the leaders and voices of our teams. They’re warriors that battle with everything they have in every game. Both from some of the biggest cities that show unconditional love for their hometown (Cam from Atlanta and Kemba from New York). The loyalty that these guys show their organizations is definitely taken for granted.
The amount of work that these guys put in will always be appreciated. And how can we forget about those smiles? When you see these guys smile it shows that deep down they are normal people that could not be happier with what they do every day.
If the Panthers or Hornets are in a drought these guys are the first to say that the city and the fans deserve better. That’s when you know that these guys will come back stronger. Whether Kemba hits his vicious step-back jumper or makes a tough timely shot with seconds left or Cam breaking three tackles just to get the extra yard on third down, we know we have some keepers here in Charlotte.
Head Coaches
Both Steve Clifford and Ron Rivera have many similarities. They are cautious in their approach to the media. For example, when covering injuries, negative questions about players they always show a modest approach. Both of these coaches have strong wisdom.
They realize the importance of intellectual growth and transparency with the players and coaching staff and he uses players to the best of their abilities. These coaches are happy with their current opportunities in both of their first head coaching jobs.
X and O wise, they are defensive minded coaches. Clifford who was an assistant coach for both Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy has developed a pretty good sense of recognizing what he has and how to use it. He uses a fluent offense with his smart core players. Rivera who used to be a linebacker for the Bears also has some experience as a defensive coordinator for the Bears which made the super bowl in 2007.
Loved Owners
Through the different backgrounds between the global icon, Michael Jordon, and the southern gentleman that is Jerry Richardson these owners represent competitiveness, hard work, and keeping their players in check. Both of these guys expect the players to work hard and keep a good rep for Charlotte sports teams. It is important for Jordon and Richardson to have players that maintain a positive impact on their communities.
Next: Four players who are key to Charlotte's success
It’s not often you see a player that has a negative image on these rosters. For example, trading Matt Barnes (a hard-nosed small forward with a bad rep) days after he was traded to Charlotte or dropping Greg Hardy after his issues with his girlfriend. We would much rather have players like Luke Kuechly or Kemba Walker.