USA Today runs a feature in which it picks the top five players for a particular NBA franchise. Today the newspaper picked the top five Charlotte Hornets of all time. Chris Paul, the great point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, also chose his top five, as did readers.
None of them got it right, although Paul at least had the insight to include Muggsy Bogues. The newspaper did not. Glen Rice made the newspaper’s team, as did Jamal Mashburn.
Rice and Mashburn passed through. You have to pick the players that stayed and made a difference. You can not pick an all-time Hornets team without including Bogues and Dell Curry. Ask anybody who was there.
It’s not simply about big names. It’s about heart and soul and who gave shape to an expansion team that Charlotte embraced like no other professional franchise, not even the Carolina Panthers. Those of us who wrote about the team were, for the most part, covering our first professional team and had no idea how special the Hornets were. The Hornets didn’t, either.
My team is Bogues and Curry, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Baron Davis. And if I could find a way to put Kenny Gattison on it, I would. I’m still trying.
NBA interest has faded
Speaking of the NBA, I’m a longtime fan. But I admit my interest in the league has faded. I knew that for sure when I was talking not long ago to a friend who also is an NBA fan. He loves the Boston Celtics and I love the Phoenix Suns and they had played a late game the night before.
I wanted to rip him about Boston’s embarrassing performance and he wanted to rip me about Phoenix’s pitiful work. The problem was, neither of us stayed up to watch and neither of us cared enough to check the score that morning. We still ripped each other on principle but we lacked facts.
And then came last night. I want to a Washington D.C. sports bar to try to catch the Charlotte-Nebraska NIT game. I don’t know where fans of the 49ers in the D.C. area gather to watch NIT games, but it wasn’t this place.
The Washington Wizards-Orlando Magic game was on, however, and it was compelling. Watching Antawn Jamison, the former Providence high and North Carolina star who is one of my favorite players, was mesmerizing. He would swoop to the hoop, dive to the floor, jump, run and hustle, and those odd Washington uniforms that make the players look like members of a dance troop detracted not at all.
Back and forth the teams went, the game coming down to the final shot and the Wizards, improbably, winning at the end and on the road.
It reminded me why I fell in love with professional basketball.
There is hope.
I agree with your all-time Hornets team, except I think I would replace Baron with Kelly Tripucka.
Posted by: Alex | March 20, 2008 at 04:09 PM
"My team is Bogues and Curry, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Baron Davis."
I'm with you there for the starting lineup. I think players like Rice, Mashburn, and Divac would be on the bench. Maybe even a Tripucka or Armon Gilliam or Johnny Newman would ride the pine.
Posted by: James | March 20, 2008 at 04:16 PM
Tom-
You are leaving off some of the best Hornets ever (positions are off on some, I know, but you got to get them all on the court)
C- Tim Kempton
PF- Dave Hoppen
SF- Armen Gilliam
SG- Earl "The Twirl" Cureton
PG- Michael Holton
BENCH
Randolph Keys
Robert Reid
Eric Leckner
Johnny Newman
Ron Grandison
David Wingate
Tom Hammonds
Posted by: BK | March 20, 2008 at 04:35 PM
Dale Curry
Muggsy Bogues
"Dr K" Tim Kempton
Kurt Rambis
Kenny Gattison
Robert Reid
Rex Chapman
Earl Cureton
Alonzo Mourning
Most of these players weren't "stars" but they were fun to watch.
These are the guys that made me show up at the coliseum, or stay up late, radio to my ear, listening to west coast games.
Those days are gone.
Posted by: TomC | March 20, 2008 at 04:52 PM
Top 5 of all time:
Muggsey
Alonzo
Dell
Rambis
Chapman
Coming off the bench: Tony Bennett and Robert Tractor Traylor.
The two most worthless Hornets? Ricky Davis and Kendall Gill. I saw Gill on some kind of pseudo celebrity sports challenge on tv the other night....what a tool.
Posted by: Malichae Neese | March 20, 2008 at 05:06 PM
Top 5 of all time:
Muggsey
Alonzo
Dell
Rambis
Chapman
Coming off the bench: Tony Bennett and Robert Tractor Traylor.
The two most worthless Hornets? Ricky Davis and Kendall Gill. I saw Gill on some kind of pseudo celebrity sports challenge on tv the other night....what a tool.
Posted by: Malichae Neese | March 20, 2008 at 05:06 PM
12 Player Roster
***1st Team***
Alonzo Mourning C
Larry Johnson PF
Baron Davis PG
Glen Rice SF
Eddie Jones SG
***2nd Team***
Muggsy Bogues PG
Anthony Mason PF
Brad Miller C
Del Curry SG
Jamal Mashburn SF
***Rounding out the 12 man roster***
Vlade Divac C
Kobe Bryant (he was a Hornet for 5 minutes)
Some of the final Hornet seasons were the best even though attendance was fading. We actually had a chance to reach the finals if it were not for a Mashburn illness one year and a Mashburn injury the next. Seems some of the other posters only remember the early days of the franchise.
Posted by: FtMill49er | March 20, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Tom-
First, the fact that you mentioned Kenny Gattison is fantastic. What a stand-up, hard-nosed player. Not enough guys like that in the league anymore. Second, Rambis and Tripucka have to make the list.
BK-
Thanks for reminding me of Johnny Newman. An excellent selection.
Posted by: Justin Carpenter | March 20, 2008 at 06:39 PM
Man, I loved the Hornets! They were my favorite team out of all pro sports. I wonder if they have never left would I still be as uninterested in the NBA as I am now.
Posted by: CHris | March 20, 2008 at 07:13 PM
The ALL-TIME Hornets team was the team of movers that took thier sorry A$$ to New Orleans.
Posted by: Michael Procton | March 20, 2008 at 08:09 PM
U guys are forgettin guys like David Wesley and elden campbell
Posted by: Row | March 20, 2008 at 09:14 PM
How about Derrick Coleman, the greatest Hornet of them all. Remember when he walked off the court during a playoff game and went to the locker room before it was over?
Posted by: Rodney Wilkins | March 20, 2008 at 09:49 PM
When the poster mentioned David Wesley, I remembered Bobby Phills. Wesley and Phills were awesome...hard-nosed, smart players who gave it everything they had. My three regrets about the Bobcats: 1. They canceled the opening prayer; 2. They took down Phills jersey that was hung in the coliseum rafters (don't know if it is up in NOLA, but I doubt it) and Paul Silas is not the coach.
Posted by: Willie Hartwell | March 20, 2008 at 09:52 PM
Too many games. No urgency to win. Too much cash. More emphasis on one on one versus team. The games are up and down depending on whether the team partied the night before or got some sleep. Who cares who wins? At one time, people really, really cared.
Posted by: Yusef Armani | March 20, 2008 at 09:56 PM
If this is supposed to be an "All-Time HORNETS" team, I'm suprised that CP3 is getting no love (someone even mentioned Kobe). And Bobby Phills's jersey proudly hangs in the rafters of the New Orleans Arena (next to Pistol Pete's).
Coach:
Paul Silas
1st Team:
PG- Muggsy Bogues
SG- Del Curry
SF- Jamal Mashburn
PF- Larry Johnson
C- Alonzo Mourning
Bench:
PG- Chris Paul
SG- Eddie Jones
SF- Anthony Mason
SF- Glen Rice
PF- P.J. Brown
C- Elden Campbell
C- Vlade Divac
Injured Reserve:
Baron Davis (where he likes it)
Posted by: B. Hider | March 20, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Bobby Phills- good call.
Posted by: Justin Carpenter | March 21, 2008 at 12:25 AM
Grand ma ma
Mugsey
Alonzo
Del Curry
Rex "the 3 pt king" Chapman
Man it sure was fun to care about an NBA team wasn't it?
Posted by: TypeKey | March 21, 2008 at 12:40 AM
One of my greatest(or infamous) moments to remember was the day that the scoreboard fell!
Grand ma ma
Rex
Mugsy
Dell Curry
ZO
Posted by: Ed V | March 21, 2008 at 08:02 AM
For their time in Charlotte
Zo
LJ
Bogues
Curry
Chapman
As a Bobcats season ticket holder, I can't
Posted by: Chris (Charlotte, NC) | March 21, 2008 at 11:18 PM