After back to back losing seasons, the Charlotte Hornets and their fans are looking forward to a bounce back campaign in 2018-19.
What is it to be a fan of the Charlotte Hornets in 2018? There are no championship banners to hang and zero conference finals appearances, there is no top-10 superstars arriving at training camp or rushing to sign with the small market North Carolina based team, and there are no NBA fans or news outlets proclaiming Charlotte Hornets as anything more than a middling team stuck in a weak Eastern Conference.
Yet, there is a small assemblage of loyal fans that faithfully follow the team as devotedly as any other NBA fan. Whether logging into the various sporting sites and apps, listening to the small number of Podcasts or eagerly following their favorite players or executives on social media, fans still reserve ample room for the Charlotte Hornets organization.
Why? Why stay with the team through continued years of negativity and lack of success? Here are three potential reasons why.
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The Face of The Franchise
Through years of watching and following the Charlotte-based team, the one main attraction has been the continued play of star guard Kemba Walker. The two-time All-Star has been the unquestioned heart and soul of this team year after year and continues to give the team all that he has. Equipped with a deadly step-back and an increased ability to shoot the three, Walker continues to be a fan favorite as well as a focal point in the team’s offense.
With Charlotte’s track record of debatable draft picks, Walker stands as the best selection since 1999, when the team selected Baron Davis. Walker, the New York native, stands as the longest-tenured player currently on the roster, and has recently been quoted as saying that he plans on “being a Hornet for a long time”. And just with that one snippet, one doesn’t have to be reminded that this type of loyalty from any above average player has been nonexistent in Charlotte sports.
The only other instances were of Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Nicolas Batum, who were all rewarded handsomely for their time with the Hornets. However, none of these men have had the influence and love of the Hornet’s faithful the way that Walker does. At $12 million per year, Walker has completely outplayed his contract and grown exponentially in the hearts of team fans.
Regime Change
The 2018-19 season will be a change of pace in more ways than one this season. Gone are the Head Coach and General Manager of yesterday, and in comes a new first-year coach and a gunslinging front office veteran to lead the team into a hopefully modern brand of basketball. The Hornets have undergone somewhat of a renovation in less than three months with the arrival of Mitch Kupchak, James Borrego, and a host of new assistant coaches.
Borrego has since installed a faster tempo that seemingly fits the team’s strengths more than the slower based tempo that the team had installed by former coach Steve Clifford while Kupchak has initiated several trades in which the team reacquired former Hornet Bismack Biyombo as well as acquiring Miles Bridges and Devonte Graham in draft day trades.
Then, the team managed to persuade longtime San Antonio Spurs point man Tony Parker to be the relief to Kemba. Though it may not seem like a great or headlining move, Kupchak filled one of the most important roles and biggest holes for the team with the 36-year old Frenchman. And in three short months, the whole philosophy of the team has seemingly changed.
Future Stars
Future stars and Charlotte haven’t exactly gone hand and hand in the past couple years. Middling role players with potential have filled Charlotte’s bench seasonally while the NBA’s next stars have all grown in their various other NBA homes. Yet, recent draft success may have finally found a home in North Carolina.
2017 NBA Draft selections Malik Monk and Dwayne Bacon, as well as 2018 selections Bridges and Graham, have all shown flashes of NBA potential. During the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Monk, Graham, Bridges, Bacon, and Willy Hernangomez performed reasonably well during the Summer League. Even two-way player J.P. Macura and draft and stash selection Arnoldas Kulboka showed great potential during their time off the bench.
With such players, it was reported that the team was one of the teams favored to win the Summer League Championship, and the play of the team indeed showed that the team could possibly make it to the final game. But what seems like a yearly occurrence, the injury bug sidelined two of the Hornet’s best players in Monk and Graham. Hernangomez additionally missed time due to the death of a family member.
The resulting omissions resulted in a close loss for the young Hornets. Regardless, the play that the young squad exhibited showed that the future of the Hornet’s team does indeed look bright.
Next: Arnoldas Kulboka impressed in summer league
In conclusion, there are many reasons why fans may love the team. It may be one, two, all three or possibly more. One thing remains universal, the Hornets are our team. We have cheered, cried, cursed, and argued for our team, and will continue to do so.