Glen Rice (1995-1999)
Days before the 1995-96 season was scheduled to tip off, the Hornets made a trade with the Miami Heat that sent Alonzo Mourning to Miami in exchange for Matt Geiger and Glen Rice.
The move worked out well for Charlotte, as they would go 146-100 over the next three seasons including winning records in all three campaigns. Rice was largely responsible for the success, as he led the Hornets in scoring in each of those seasons while also leading them in postseason scoring in 1997 and 1998.
The 1996-97 season was Rice’s best, as he posted a career-best 26.8 points per game, a mark that still stands as the best in Hornets history. A large part of this was his improved three-point shooting, as he shot a league-best 47% from three-point range that season.
Rice’s individual greatness led to team success, as Charlotte had their winningest season in team history with a 54-28 record. Unfortunately, the Hornets had to contend in a particularly competitive Eastern Conference that season, and their 54 victories only earned them the 6th seed. Their reward for that seeding was a matchup with the New York Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing and former Charlotte forward Larry Johnson. Although the Knicks would win the series 3-0, Rice still managed to record 27.7 points per game, the best mark ever for a Charlotte player in a single postseason. His 39-point performance in Game 2 of that series still stands as the most prolific playoff scoring performance in team history.
Rice would lead Charlotte back to the playoffs in the 1997-98 season, this time as the 4th seed. The Hornets would defeat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round before falling to the Chicago Bulls, who were on their way to their third consecutive championship.
Rice’s stellar play in Charlotte earned him three consecutive NBA All-Star selections; he has since been joined by Kemba Walker as Charlotte player to earn this honor. Rice would score 26 points to lead all scorers in the 1997 All-Star game, earning the All-Star Game MVP for his efforts. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Third Team in 1998.
The 1998-99 season would be delayed due to an NBA lockout; as a result, the league played a condensed 50 game schedule which would not begin until February 5th, 1999. Rice would not suit up for Charlotte in the abbreviated season, and on March 10th, he was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Elden Campbell and Eddie Jones.
For his Charlotte career, Rice averaged 23.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 252 games.