After years of Charlotte Hornets fans hoping to see Dell Curry’s iconic No. 30 up in the home arena rafters, their wish is finally happening. Shams Charania reported that the team will be retiring Curry’s jersey on March 19 when it faces the Orlando Magic.
The retired shooting guard and current Hornets color commentator will be the first franchise legend to secure the elusive honor. The late Bobby Phills’ No. 13 was the first to be raised in the rafters, with Charlotte delivering the tribute after his untimely death in 2000 due to a car accident. Bill Russell’s No. 6 has also been retired league-wide.
An honor well-deserved
For the longest time, the question of who among the Hornets icons would experience a jersey retirement ceremony had persisted. Some believed that it should have been Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, or Glen Rice. The thing is, none of them suited up long enough with the team to be unanimous choices.
Curry, on the other hand, played the majority of his career in Charlotte. After 10 seasons repping the purple and teal, he ended up becoming its all-time statistical leader in many categories at the time. He was also the last to depart among the franchise’s original roster, having been chosen by the squad during the expansion draft in 1988. It’s also worth noting that he is the only Hornet to win the Sixth Man of the Year award, achieving the feat in 1994.
The 61-year-old legend’s value to Charlotte has gone beyond his contributions during his playing years. He has helped generate interest in the team through his broadcasting work. His partnership with Eric Collins in the booth has given people positive things to say about the Hornets, even during their down years.
It will be interesting to see who will join Curry and Phills on the rafters in the future. It took the organization a while to give the former the distinction, though that probably won’t be the case next time.
Kemba Walker looks likely to see his No. 15 retired soon. There’s even an argument that it should be a matter of when and not if.
Hopefully, we can see plenty of jerseys hanging at the Spectrum Center one day. LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel have the potential to also receive the honor, as long as they play for Buzz City for many more years. If the trio can transform the team into a sustainable contender, their inclusion in the prestigious club will be a no-brainer.