Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets attendance drops for second consecutive season

By Jerry Stephens

CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 20: Shirts are laid out for fans before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets on October 20, 2017 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - OCTOBER 20: Shirts are laid out for fans before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets on October 20, 2017 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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For the second straight season, the attendance numbers for the Charlotte Hornets fell as the team had a disappointing year.

The Charlotte Hornets‘ regular-season attendance numbers dropped to the lowest mark in five years. (ESPN.com) For the first time since the 2013-14 season, their overall attendance fell to below 700,000 for the entire season. The Queen City team ranked in the bottom 10 in the NBA in attendance.

Charlotte only totaled 671,404 in attendance for the 2017-18 season.The Hornets ranked 26th in average attendance with only 16,375 per game. Consider that The Spectrum Center holds a max capacity of 19,077. The Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns all have smaller arenas than Charlotte and average more in attendance per game.

Compare that to the Chicago Bulls who were the top team in attendance by totaling 830,482 and averaging 20,762 per game. The drop in attendance can most likely be attributed to the Hornets poor play on the court. For the second straight season, the team finished 10 games under .500 and out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Winning brings fans to the arena, losing does the opposite.

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Despite adding a big name like eight-time all-star Dwight Howard and Kemba Walker making it to his second consecutive all-star game, Charlotte just couldn’t draw fans to the arena like they have in past seasons. Malik Monk is an exciting young prospect and giving him playing time alongside whoever they draft this summer should help bring more fans to the games.

Just a couple years ago in 2015-16, the Hornets tallied 716,894 in attendance. That season, they went 48-34 and were the sixth seed in the East postseason. They also ranked 18th in the league and it was their highest total since basketball returned to the Queen City. That number dropped a bit to 710,643 last season.

They may see a slight uptick next year because of the 2019 All-Star Game being held in Charlotte. Unless new general manager Mitch Kupchak makes major changes to the current roster, the attendance number may remain the same.

Next: Top-10 performances from the 2017-18 season

The low attendance numbers reflected their poor play at home as they only went 21-20 at the Spectrum Center this year. While the Charlotte Hornets’ attendance is a lot better than it has been in past seasons, a downward trend is not a good sign. They will hope to rebound next year by having the total attendance and average attendance jump back up.

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