Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Comparing LaMelo Ball to other Charlotte Hornets’ rookie point guards

By Shawn Simmons

Charlotte Hornets LaMelo Ball. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Charlotte Hornets LaMelo Ball. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – MARCH 24: Tyrone Bogues #1 of the Washington Bullets looks on during a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Capital Centre on March 24, 1988, in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – MARCH 24: Tyrone Bogues #1 of the Washington Bullets looks on during a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Capital Centre on March 24, 1988, in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Muggsy Bouges played his rookie season with the Washington Bullets prior to being selected in the expansion draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

With all due respect to Malik Monk, when it comes to the Charlotte Hornets, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues is number one.

The Hornets franchise was founded and began play during the 1988-89 NBA season. The season prior, as a rookie, Bogues played for the Washington Wizards franchise, then known as the Bullets. Bogues was selected with the 12th pick overall in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft after playing collegiately at Wake Forest University.

Bogues gained fame early in his career. The Bullets were home to the then shortest and tallest players in NBA history. Manute Bol stood at 7 feet, 7 inches tall. He and Bogues appeared on several national magazine covers together during the season.

Bouges started 14 of the 79 games is played during his rookie season. Bullets’ head coach Kevin Loughery was fired during the season and he was replaced by Wes Unseld. Unseld removed Bogues from the starting lineup and his playing time decreased. Despite this, Bogues led the Bullets in assists and steals for the season. He finished his rookie year averaging 5.0 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 39% from the field.

The Bullets left Bogues and Jay Murphy unprotected in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft and the Hornets selected him with the sixth pick.