nba roster

nba roster

The Charlotte Hornets joined the NBA in time for the1988-89 season, as the league added four new teams in a two-year stretch. The club suffered through the usual expansion-team doldrums for a few years but then built a solid roster thanks to productive draft picks. Within a relatively short period the Hornets assembled a star-quality nucleus of forward Larry Johnson and center Alonzo Mourning, who led the team to the playoffs in only its fifth year. By the 1996-97 season both Johnson and Mourning had been traded, but Charlotte still looked to be a team on the way up, and the Hornets responded by winning 54 games in 1996-97 and 51 this past season. Many doubted the Charlotte community's ability and willingness to support a professional basketball team. For one thing, it was a small city (although the area did have a sizable market within a few hours' drive). And North Carolina was college basketball country, where the fans' ardor for the amateur game had never translated into a similar affection for the NBA.
Nevertheless, Charlotte was admitted to the league on April 22, 1987, along with Minnesota, Miami, and Orlando. Charlotte and Miami began play in 1988-89, while Minnesota and Orlando first saw action a year later. The Charlotte team adopted the name Hornets, which had historic importance in Charlotte sports history-for many years the city's minor league baseball team was known as the Hornets, and its World Football League team had carried the same name.
Owner George Shinn hired Carl Scheer as the team's first general manager. As commissioner of the American Basketball Association, Scheer had successfully run the ABA's Carolina Cougars from 1970 to 1974 before moving on to revitalize the Denver Nuggets in the mid-1970s. On the other hand, he had also been associated with the dismal Los Angeles Clippers teams of the mid-1980s.
Shinn named Dick Harter as the Hornets' first head coach. Known as an astute basketball man with a defensive orientation, Harter had been a successful college coach and had several years' experience as an NBA assistant.
1988-89: Charlotte Stocks Roster With VeteransUnlike many expansion franchises that invest in the future with a team composed entirely of young players, Charlotte stocked its inaugural roster with several veterans in hopes of putting a competitive lineup on the court right away. The team's expansion draft picks included 6-5 Dell Curry of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who developed into one of the NBA's best sixth men. The Hornets also acquired 6-10 Dave Hoppen from the Golden State Warriors, the Utah Jazz's Rickey Green, and 5-3 Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues, who had just finished his rookie season with the Washington Bullets. Charlotte added some experienced bangers to its roster, signing 6-9 Earl Cureton, 7-footer Stuart Gray, and 6-8 Kurt Rambis. The Hornets also picked up prolific scorer Kelly Tripucka and smooth guard Robert Reid. Picking eighth in the 1988 NBA Draft, Charlotte selected 6-4 Rex Chapman, an outstanding long-distance shooter who was leaving the University of Kentucky after his sophomore year.
The Hornets began play in the 1988-89 season at the 23,698-seat, $52-million Charlotte Coliseum. The opening-night lineup included Tripucka, Rambis, Hoppen, Reid, and Green. The Hornets' first opponent was Cleveland, and the Cavaliers gave the Hornets a rude welcome to the NBA with a 133-93 drubbing. After a road loss, Charlotte picked up its first victory with a 117-105 triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Tripucka was Charlotte's top gun. In a December 14 win over the Indiana Pacers he scored 40 points. On January 16 he matched that total, and the Hornets scored a season-high 127 points while defeating the Philadelphia 76ers by 5 in overtime. On February 25 Tripucka notched his third 40-point game of the season as Charlotte beat the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113.
The team struggled through midseason but managed to avoid disaster. Then the Hornets hit the wall. From early March to mid-April they had two nine-game losing streaks. However, on April 18 Charlotte displayed some resiliency, beating the New Jersey Nets, 121-105, to establish the largest margin of victory in their charter year. And on April 23 Muggsy Bogues set a club record for assists, handing out 19 in a game against the Boston Celtics.
It was a tough campaign. With the usual expansion mix of promising youngsters and journeyman veterans on the floor, the squad managed a 20-62 record but never won more than two consecutive games. The Hornets averaged 104.5 points per game while yielding 113.0 points per game to their opponents.
Kelly Tripucka was the team's scoring leader with 22.6 points per game. Kurt Rambis, the embodiment of blue-collar basketball, topped the club in rebounding with 9.4 per contest. Rex Chapman had a successful rookie season-his 16.9 points per game was the Hornets' second-best average, and he ranked third among NBA rookies in scoring, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
1989-90: A Struggling Sophomore SeasonThe 1989-90 season got off to a stumbling start. The Hornets lost their first five games before defeating the Orlando Magic, 130-116, in the first meeting of the two franchises. Playing another expansion team for the first time on November 25, Charlotte beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 81-73.
Charlotte could beat the other new clubs, but it struggled against the league's more established units. November and December brought a 10-game losing streak, although December ended on a high note when the Hornets defeated the Houston Rockets, 111-92. The new year, however, was the same old story. Charlotte went 3-31 from early January to mid-March, lowlighted by a club-record 12-game losing skid.
1990: Harter Fired, Replaced By LittlesCoach Harter had been given a contract extension for the 1989-90 season, but he didn't finish the year. With the team struggling at 8-32 and showing no apparent signs of improvement, Harter was fired and replaced by Gene Littles on January 31. Littles didn't do much better, and the Hornets finished at 19-63. Armon Gilliam, who had arrived from the Phoenix Suns early in the season in exchange for Kurt Rambis and two second-round draft choices, led the Hornets in scoring with 18.8 points per game in his 60 appearances for Charlotte. Rex Chapman chipped in 17.5 points per game but missed 28 contests due to injuries.
The Hornets also received strong contributions from rookie J. R. Reid, who averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds and earned a berth on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. The 6-9 Reid was a local favorite. He had played college ball at North Carolina, where he was an All-American in his sophomore season. With high expectations, Charlotte selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft. Reid became a solid player for Charlotte and eventually for San Antonio.

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