Charlotte Hornets: 15 greatest scorers of all-time

• 19.6 PPG, 7,405 points, 5 seasons
• All-NBA Second Team (1993)
• 2x NBA All-Star (1993, 1995)
• NBA Rookie of the Year (1992)
• NBA All-Rookie First Team (1992)

Larry Johnson was an absolute college basketball legend playing for Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. UNLV was a powerhouse, winning the 1990 National Championship and making to the Final Four in 1991 before losing to the Duke Blue Devils.

The high-flying power forward was a perfect fit for the expansion-era Hornets in the 1991 NBA Draft, as Charlotte took him No. 1 overall. Nicknamed “Grandmama”, Johnson easily had his best five seasons in the NBA during his 10-year career in the Queen City.

As a rookie in 1991-92, Johnson won NBA Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie First Team. He averaged 19.2 points per game on 49.0 percent shooting. By year two in the league, Johnson was an All-Star.

Johnson’s second season in the NBA was arguably his best. He averaged 22.1 points per game on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor, both of which were career highs for him. Johnson was named to the All-NBA Second Team that season, as Charlotte made the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Charlotte would advance over the Boston Celtics in the first round on Alonzo Mourning’s 20-foot jump shot. It seemed that all was good to stay in the Queen City for this fun bunch. However, Mourning would leave a year later via trade and the Hornets team that seemingly everybody loved would be broken up over time.

Johnson played with the Hornets through the 1995-96 NBA season. He made his second and final NBA All-Star Game the year prior in 1994-95, where he averaged 18.8 points on 48.0 percent shooting. The year after Mourning was traded to the Miami Heat, Johnson would be shipped to the New York Knicks for the late Anthony Mason.

Johnson spent his final five NBA seasons playing in the Big Apple for the Knicks. Though never an All-Star, Johnson was a perennial starter at power forward while averaging 12.3 points per game over five seasons. In the latter part of his career, Johnson was on the Knicks team that went to the 1999 NBA Finals, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

Overall, Johnson scored 7,405 career points for the Hornets in five seasons, averaging a sound 19.6 points per game. Though his game largely relied on his above-the-rim athleticism, Johnson did shoot 49.6 percent from the field in his time with Charlotte. As he got older, he became a better long-range shooter, making 34.7 percent of his 3-point attempts while with the Hornets.