On This Date in Sports November 4, 1988: The First Buzz in Charlotte
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The NBA comes to tobacco road, as the Charlotte Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first official game at the Charlotte Coliseum. The Hornets are one of two expansion teams for the 1988/89 season, joining the league with the Miami Heat to make it 25 teams. With fans dressed in tuxedos, the Hornets would lose their inaugural game 133-93. The Hornets would post a record of 20-62.
Basketball had always been popular in North Carolina as it sits in the middle of ACC country, with Duke, North Carolina, and NC State being college basketball powerhouses at the time. However, nobody thought a professional team in the Carolinas could work, as the market was too small to be taken seriously. The ABA had the Carolina Cougars which played throughout the region but had limited success and moved it St. Louis after five seasons in 1974.
With the NBA adding four teams in a two-year period, local businessman man pushed hard to bring professional basketball to Charlotte, hoping to make good use of a new 24,000-seat arena that was under construction in the heart of the city. In an announcement on April 5, 1987, Charlotte was one of four expansion teams to join the NBA in a two-year period, with Charlotte and Miami getting a team in 1988 and Orlando and the Twin Cities getting a team the following year. After initially considering the name Charlotte Spirit, the name Charlotte Hornets is chosen through a name the team contest.
The teal and purple-clad Hornets were coached by Dick Harter in their first season. Among the more recognizable names were former All-Star Kelly Tripucka and Kurt Rambis a reserve on the Los Angeles Lakers championship team, known for his thick glasses. The Hornets first draft pick was Rex Chapman of Kentucky, while Dell Curry and the diminutive Muggsy Bogues quickly became fan favorites.
On Opening Night fans came dressed in tuxedos to see the Charlotte Hornets first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hornets played well early and played the first quarter even as the game was tied 26-26. However, in the second quarter, Cleveland dropped 40 on the Hornets, taking a 66-42 halftime lead. The game would never be close again, as the Cavaliers won going away 133-93. Despite losing by 40 the fans gave the Hornets a standing ovation as they left the court at the end of the game. Former Tar Heel, Brad Daugherty is the game’s leading scorer with 20 points and eight rebounds. While Kurt Rambis and Kelly Tripucka each scored 16 to lead the way for Charlotte.
The Hornets would play better the following day, losing a close battle to the Detroit Pistons 94-85. Their first win would come on November 8th, as they beat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-105 in front of their home fans. The Hornets would finish last in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20-62 in their first season. The highlight of the season came on December 23rd when they stunned the Chicago Bulls 103-101 in Michael Jordan’s first trip to his hometown. Kurt Rambis was the Hornets leading scorer with 22.6 points per game that first season. Despite their losing record, the Hornets led the NBA in attendance in their inaugural season.