Former Hornet's experience underscores how far the team has come in a year

The Charlotte Hornets have not had many winning seasons in the past dozen years, although things appeared to look up in the 2021-22 campaign when they finished with a 43-39 record and clinched a play-in tournament spot.

Among those who helped the squad was Kelly Oubre Jr., who played in his first year in Charlotte. The versatile forward averaged 15.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while primarily coming off the bench.

The following season was a bit of a nightmare for the Hornets, though, as they slogged to a 27-55 standing, their worst record in 10 years. Oubre Jr. was a bright spot for the team, as he put up a career-high 20.3 points per contest.

Kelly Oubre Jr. recalls his humbling experience in Charlotte

Unfortunately for the former first-round pick, he had a polarizing experience in Charlotte. While he appreciated his time with the franchise and had even said on multiple occasions that playing for the Hornets was "probably the most fun" he had in his basketball career, all the losing in the 2022-23 campaign took a toll on Oubre Jr.

Many among the Hornets' fans likely understand his sentiment, as the team managed to lose even more the following season. Fortunately for Oubre Jr., he didn't get to experience suiting up for a Charlotte squad that went 21-61.

By that time, he was already representing the Philadelphia 76ers, with whom he signed a one-year deal in the 2023 offseason.

Oubre Jr. appeared on a recent episode of "Podcast P" (starts at 50:05), where he talked about having a career year in 2022-23 while falling out of love with basketball. He recalled, "We obviously didn't really win nothing, and losing was a big thing. It just brings you down, bro. When you're losing so much, and you're not even expected to win, it was just very depleting mentally."

Interestingly, the veteran forward isn't the first former star to discuss the losing culture the Hornets once had. Terry Rozier had also previously said that losing was in the organization's DNA before he changed tunes earlier this offseason and praised the team's new mindset.

With a new group of majority owners, front office, and coaching staff, positive changes have already arrived in Charlotte. Of course, becoming a contender might take some time. Still, at least the Hornets have established a renewed mentality where, hopefully, losing will be taken seriously this time around.

It's just unfortunate that Oubre Jr. may have played for the Hornets at the wrong time, as he could probably be a good fit with the current team. However, he seems to be in a good spot with the Sixers, and even without him, the same can be said about Charlotte.