The Charlotte Bobcats have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday evening to announce their pending nickname change to the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. The news confirms last week's reports that the franchise would seek to restore Charlotte basketball to its former branding.
Bobcats to announce name change to Hornets on Tuesday
The process of the Charlotte Hornets returning to NBA action begins with Tuesday’s announcement.
Streeter Lecka
With the New Orleans Pelicans name change going into effect next season, speculation persisted regarding another re-branding in Charlotte. The Hornets nickname had been in New Orleans since the franchise moved there from Charlotte in 2002, but new ownership decided the team needed a new, local flavor.
That move put the pressure on the Bobcats to consider taking back the old Hornets nickname, which led to some public surveys by the franchise. Responses from the public were reportedly mixed, but the “Bring Back The Buzz” movement has consistently gained steam since the Pelicans move went official.
The current franchise in Charlotte has been known as the Bobcats after initial owner Robert (Bob) Johnson since its inception in 2004. Johnson sold his remaining shares in the team to current owner Michael Jordan in 2010 and the team has never quite endeared itself in the region due to a lack of success.
In the 1990s, the Charlotte Hornets reached the playoffs multiple times behind star players such as Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Glen Rice.
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