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Three things Hornets fans should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

By Evan Birchmore

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 19: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts with the crowd following a three point basket during the second half of their game against the Indiana Pacers at Spectrum Center on November 19, 2021 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. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 19: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts with the crowd following a three point basket during the second half of their game against the Indiana Pacers at Spectrum Center on November 19, 2021 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. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Thanksgiving is upon us, and with it come the traditions of time with family, plates full of food, and watching the Detroit Lions losing a football game. Amid these traditions, the core value of thankfulness is on the minds of many. Luckily, Charlotte Hornets fans have plenty to be thankful for this year as the team is off to a solid start. With nearly a quarter of the season in the books, here are three things that Hornets fans should be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

3 things Charlotte Hornets fans should be thankful for: A stable front office

For years, competent front office performance was contradictory to the Charlotte Hornets. The tenure of former general manager Rich Cho started horrendously, with the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats still holding the record for the worst single season winning percentage in league history. However, the team would rebound to make the playoffs in the 2013-14 and 2014-16 seasons, marking the most successful stretch since the team returned to Charlotte. Cho’s tenure was eventually undone by a backslide over the next few seasons, culminating in his departure in early 2018. Among the misfires were ill-advised contract extensions (see: Nicolas Batum) and acquisitions (see: Dwight Howard). In Cho’s final season with the franchise, the Hornets had the 10th-highest payroll in the NBA but finished 10th in their own conference and missed the postseason.

Since Mitch Kupchak took over as general manager, the Hornets have steadily been improving on the court as a direct result of improved front office performance. Notable draft-night acquisitions made under Kupchak include Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, Cody Martin, and LaMelo Ball, all of whom are current rotational pieces. Charlotte also had a difficult decision to make in the 2019 offseason with Kemba Walker and managed to execute a sign-and-trade for Terry Rozier, who had a career year in 2021. The free agent acquisition of Gordon Hayward in 2020 can certainly be called an overpay, although as a small-market franchise the Hornets typically must outbid some larger-market teams for free agents.

As far as the Hornets ownership goes, one of the greatest ironies in the NBA has been that the greatest player in league history has also been one of its worst owners. The list of draft swings and misses during Michael Jordan’s tenure as owner is well documented, from Adam Morrison to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to Frank Kaminsky. The list of players the Hornets passed on for those players reads like an all-star roster, with players such as Brandon Roy, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker being passed over. However, recent draft performance has drastically improved, and the mystique of Michael Jordan still holds weight within the league. Recent episodes around the NBA should make Hornets fans thankful for an owner who operates in a professional manner; Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver appears to be on his way out after reports surfaced of a toxic workplace environment fraught with racism and misogyny. With Jordan as owner, the on-court product has not always been up to par, but the perspective that Jordan brings as a former player certainly lends itself to a positive workplace environment.  In coordination with improved management and personnel decision-making, the Hornets are trending in the right direction in the front office.

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