Who exactly is the Charlotte Hornets’ biggest rival?
The Atlanta Hawks play just down the road from Charlotte and geographically, are the closest NBA team to the Hornets. Are they rivals, though?
Separated by just 250 miles of Interstate 85 asphalt, one would think that the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets would be heated rivals. After all, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, and their fans, desperately hate each other and have had some epic battles on the gridiron over the years.
That’s not saying that the Hawks and Hornets do not have a rivalry, but it certainly seems more subdued compared to their NFL counterparts. That is a bit odd considering that for much of the ’90s, both teams were competitive, with the Hawks and Hornets making a combined 13 playoff appearances and facing off against each other one time in 1998, with the Hornets taking that series in five games.
Perhaps where it has fallen off is this century, where Charlotte has been middling at best. Meanwhile, Atlanta has made the postseason 10 of the last 13 seasons, including a trip to the Conference Finals in 2015.
As I stated before, success helps breed rivalries and there is no such thing as a one-sided rivalry. With Atlanta’s recent success coupled with Charlotte’s lack thereof, there’s just no way to build up any “hatred” between the two squads.
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In those last 13 seasons I mentioned regarding the Hawks, the Hornets have only won the season series between the teams twice. So, it’s easy to see why people in Atlanta might not take Charlotte seriously, and frankly, I don’t blame them.
Divisional rivalries aren’t as much of a thing in the NBA as they are in other sports, but if there was one the Southeast division could use, it’s an Atlanta-Charlotte rivalry. The proximity is there and that has always kind of fueled a bit of beef between the two cities, so hopefully, that can manifest soon.
Is there anyone else that could make a case? Well, recently a team from up North might be able to lay claim to a rivalry with our beloved Hornets.