Who are the Ten Greatest Charlotte Hornets of All-Time?

Feb 14, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Team Curry legend Dell Curry shoots the basketball during the 2015 NBA All Star Shooting Stars competition at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With the Charlotte Hornets’ strange history, which is unlike most NBA franchises, picking their top-10 players of all-time can be difficult.

The Charlotte Hornets have an interesting, if not storied, history. After just 14 seasons in the NBA, the franchise moved to New Orleans in 2002. Just two years later, the Bobcats were born. Despite the ties to the city, all records and history remained with the New Orleans franchise. It wasn’t until 2014, when the Hornets name returned to Charlotte, that the history was restored as well.

I didn’t have any explicit set of criteria or rules while making this list, but I did follow a few general axioms. When ranking players in their historical context, peak vs. longevity is often a contentious debate. In general, I tend to slightly favor a player with a higher peak than someone who might have had a longer career.

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However, when considering players within a single franchise, I think the argument should sway the other way. After all, someone can’t be a great Hornet in just one season. Keep that in mind while reading.

First, a quick historical side note:

While researching this piece I discovered that Al Jefferson was selected to the All-NBA Third Team in 2013-14, without making the All-Star team. I assumed this was a rare occurrence. As it turns out, that’s not the case at all. In fact, there have been 28 times where a player who did not make the All-Star game was selected to the All-NBA third team.

Furthermore, this has happened for the second team 23 times, and seven times for First Team All-NBA! This illustrates perfectly why it’s silly to use All-Star selections as a criterion for the Hall of Fame. With that soap box out of the way, let’s take a look at the ten greatest Hornets of all time.

10.) Emeka Okafor

If we played a word association game before I started this piece, and you said “Emeka Okafor,” my reply might have been “disappointment.” The Hornets took Okafor second overall in 2004. Four future All-Stars were taken later in the first round, Andre Iguodala probably the most impactful among them. When measured against the expectations of a second overall pick, it may be true that Okafor’s career was a bit disappointing.

We often expect top two picks to be a franchise cornerstone for a decade or more, carrying the team to playoff hardware while accumulating plenty of accolades for themselves as well. While Okafor never reached the peak that many hoped for, he played 9 seasons in the NBA which doesn’t happen by accident no matter what position a player was drafted.

Okafor’s best years came in Charlotte, where he spent his first five seasons. During his rookie campaign, Okafor put up 15.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, earning Rookie of the Year honors. Rebounding and consistency would continue to be Okafor’s hallmark throughout his time as a Bobcat.

He would go on to grab the most rebounds in franchise history and block the second most shots. Okafor also holds records for most 10-plus rebound games (199), and double-doubles (179) as a Bobcat/Hornet (Horncats?). In a December 29, 2006, game against the Lakers, Okafor pulled down 25 rebounds, a single game record that still stands today.

Okafor’s career was mostly unremarkable both from an individual and team standpoint, but he owns a surprising amount of the franchise’s history. Emeka certainly isn’t among the best ten players to wear a Horncats uniform, but he is one of the ten best Hornets of all time.

May 11, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former Los Angeles Clippers guard Baron Davis attends game four of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

9.) Baron Davis

B-Diddy, as he’s known, is a bit of an odd case. He was a Hornet when the team moved to New Orleans in 2002. For official record keeping purposes, the seasons Davis played as a New Orleans Hornet do not count towards Charlotte franchise records. Therefore, officially, Davis only played three seasons for the Hornets. Even so, his name appears throughout the record books in Charlotte.

Davis competed in the 2001 Slam Dunk Contest before appearing in the main event the next year. Despite playing in just 246 games before the franchise relocated, Davis ranks fifth in assists, seventh in steals, and eighth in three-pointers made. It is also worth noting that Davis made a three in 46 consecutive games during 2001 and 2002, a Hornets record.

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Most impressively, Davis scored more playoff points as a Charlotte Hornet than all but David Wesley. Wesley, who started over Davis during the latter’s rookie year, took the court in 9 more playoff games.

Of all the players on this list, Baron’s rank would probably vary the most if you took a poll. Many would leave him out of the top ten altogether, and others might feel 9th is far too low. Even though the time in New Orleans officially isn’t considered part of the Charlotte franchise, Davis’ Charlotte legacy should account for it to some degree, in my mind.

After all, it’s not as if Davis left the Hornets. In two more full seasons as a Hornet, Davis continued to play at a high level. In particular, 2003-04 was among the best of Davis’ career. A line of 22.9 p/4.3 r/7.5a resulted in an All-Star bid, and 2.4  lead the league. Had those two seasons been played in Charlotte, Davis would skyrocket up this list.

Oct 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; The basketball court for the Charlotte Hornets sports the new logo before the opening home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

8.) Anthony Mason

Mason is another example of a short, but impactful stint with the Hornets. His first season in Charlotte, 1996-97, was his best. Mase put up his best numbers in all five major counting stat categories: 16.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1 steal, and 0.5 blocks. Granted, he played a career high and league leading 43.1 minutes per night, but still. In fact, even after adjusting for pace and playing time, 1996-97 was the peak of Mason’s career. After the regular season, Mason was named to the All-NBA 3rd and All-NBA Defensive 2nd teams.

Mason’s efforts contributed to winning basketball on the court as well; the Hornets won 54 games in ’96-97, a franchise record that still stands. Unfortunately for Charlotte, the Eastern Conference was remarkably strong in 1997. The Hornets’ 54 wins were good enough just for the sixth seed, and a first-round matchup with the Knicks. New York swept the series.

When considering Anthony Mason’s place in Hornets history, I initially hesitated to include him in this list. After all, he was a 6’7″ tweener in an era where tweener was a derogatory mark in a player’s scouting report, not the high praise it is today. Though he had his best seasons in Charlotte, Mase was a career role player who simply played his role well.

What ultimately convinced me that he belongs is just how much he contributed to winning during the Hornets’ most successful era. Despite not being amongst the 10 players who played the most games or minutes in a Hornets uniform, Mason accumulated the 5th most Win Shares in team history. He rates similarly well in all advanced statistics that measure a player’s impact on winning.

Nov 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) enters the arena prior to the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

7.) Kemba Walker

Believe it or not, Kemba is playing in his sixth NBA season. It seems not that long ago at all he was destroying the hopes and dreams of Pitt in the Big East tournament. The Bronx native has upheld the lore surrounding New York point guards during his time in the Association.

Earlier in his career, Kemba was the emblematic “good stats, bad team” guy. He scored a lot of points and racked up assists, but they were largely inefficient empty numbers. The last two seasons have been a different story, as he’s bumped his PER to 21.2. Kemba has had a lot of great individual moments during his time in the NBA, including a franchise record 52 points in a single game.

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The next step is to string those moments together, and turn them into great seasons and ultimately a great career. Walker has a good chance to earn an All-Star selection this season, and even an outside shot at All-NBA honors. He would be the first Hornet to do either since Gerald Wallace in 2010.

By the end of this season, Walker will already be in the top 3 or so of most statistical categories aside from blocks and rebounds. If he continues the upward trend he’s currently on and stays in a Hornets uniform, Kemba will smash all the records books in Charlotte. Add a dash of playoff success, and Kemba Walker may retire as the greatest Hornet of all time. Here’s to hoping.

Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Shooting Stars participant Muggsy Bogues speaks to the media during the a press conference for the all star Saturday night participants at the Hilton Americas. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

6.) Muggsy Bogues

Bogues is best known for his (lack of) height, and involvement in (probably false) Michael Jordan anecdotes. One of the original Hornets, Bogues was selected by Charlotte in the 1988 expansion draft. Muggsy made his home in Charlotte for the next 10 years, playing a crucial role in the Hornets’ success in the mid 90’s.

The diminutive point guard remains one of the longest-tenured Hornets to this day, having appeared in the second most games wearing a Hornets uniform and playing more minutes than anyone else. In 632 games for the franchise, Bogues racked up 5557 assists, the most in Charlotte history by nearly 3,000. Who is in second place, you might ask?

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Why that would be none other than All Pudge team captain Raymond Felton. Bogues is also the most prolific pickpocket in Hornets history. If you need fun trivia to regale your coworkers with at company get-togethers, hit them with this one: Who is the 10th leading rebounder in Charlotte Hornets history? That’s correct, Tyrone Curtis Bogues.

Statistically, Muggsy was a pretty average player. So average in fact, that his career PER is 15.0. (PER is specifically calibrated so that league average is 15.) Clearly, Bogues benefits from the length of his tenure in Charlotte, but it goes beyond that. An appearance in Space Jam introduced the league’s shortest player to the greater masses outside of basketball.

A natural underdog figure thanks to his stature, Bogues’ jovial personality and play style created a fan favorite. Charlotte continues to adore Bogues to this day; the Hornets made him a team ambassador in 2014 when they shed the Bobcats moniker.

Feb 14, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA former player Alonzo Mourning during the NBA Hall of Fame Annoucement at New Orleans Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

5.) Alonzo Mourning

Mourning is one of two Charlotte Hornets to be elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player. The other? Robert Parish, as I’m sure you guessed (I honestly had no idea Parish was ever a Hornet). Zo’s time in Charlotte was brief but spectacular. Thanks to his relatively short tenure as a Hornet, Mourning is mostly absent from the Charlotte record books, save for rebounds (5th), and blocks (1st).

However, the per game numbers reveal the exceptional level that Mourning played at for the Hornets. Mourning’s nightly output ranks top 2 in points (21.3, 2nd), rebounds (10.1, 2nd), and blocks (3.2, 1st). You’ll note that those numbers came in just under 36 minutes, only ninth most in Hornets history. Advanced statistics love Mourning as well. He ranks first in player efficiency rating (20.8), while placing second in both true shooting (58.9%), and block rate (5.7%).

Numbers alone never capture the whole story, but Zo was the type of player that this is especially true for. Mourning combined the cliched “high motor” effort levels, with genuine star talent. Zo was an intense dude both on and off the court.

His personality was undoubtedly a driving force in his success, as well as breaking up the great young team the Hornets had. The contentious nature of Mourning’s departure, when combined with its timing really hurts his standing here.

Oct 29, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; The basketball court for the Charlotte Hornets sports the new logo before the opening home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

4.) Glen Rice

Rice is one of the hardest to place on this list. He spent just three seasons as a Hornet. He was a sink on defense and didn’t do much besides score. But man, could Glen Rice score. He put up 23.5 points per game as a Hornet, the highest rate by a long shot.

Rice’s only three All-Star appearances came as a Hornet and two All-NBA selections. A veritable star during his time in Charlotte, Rice embodies the peak vs. longevity debate. Though he played just 240 games in a Hornets uniform, Rice was probably the closest thing the Hornets have ever had to a superstar.

After the fallout with Alonzo Mourning, it was a real possibility that the Hornets would tumble back into the league’s cellar. Despite narrowly missing the playoffs in his first year with the team, Rice lead the Hornets to a couple of their best seasons as a franchise.

If it weren’t for Michael “I Destroy Dreams for Fun” Jordan and the Chicago Buzzsaws, there might have even been a Conference Championship in there. Thanks to Rice, the Hornets stayed relevant for at least a few more years. He earns some extra credit in my book for that.

Oct 10, 2014; Greenville, SC, USA; The new Charlotte Hornets logo on the back of the warm ups prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

3.) Larry Johnson

LJ earns points both for the level he played at in Charlotte and the length of his tenure. Johnson was the first Hornet to be selected first overall, win Rookie of the Year, start (or play) an All-Star game, and earn All-NBA honors. Johnson’s five seasons as a Hornet were enough to place him in the top 10 of games (9th), minutes (4th), points (3rd), rebounds (2nd), assists (6th), and steals (10th). In addition to the accolades mentioned above, Larry played in a second All-Star Game as a Hornet in 1995.

During his time in Charlotte, the Hornets made two playoff appearances, advancing to the second round in 1993 for the first time in franchise history. During that 1992-93 season, Johnson arguably played the best basketball of his career. In over 40 minutes per game, he put up 22 points, 10.5 rebounds, and even dished out 4.3 assists while shooting over 52% from the field. Johnson’s numbers earned him both an All-Star bid and a spot on the All-NBA 2nd team.

Quick Aside On Zo and LJ:

In 1993, Following what to that point had been the best season in Hornets history, Johnson signed a 12 year(!), $84 million contract. That contract would later serve as the impetus for Alonzo Mourning to demand a deal worth $13 million annually from Charlotte. When the front office said no, Mourning orchestrated his exit resulting in a trade with the Miami Heat. It’s no secret that LJ and Zo didn’t get along off the court, and eventually on the court.

When it comes to breaking that team up, it’s tough to say how much blame lies with any of the parties involved. LJ was a grating personality, apparently taunting a young Mourning repeatedly early in their time together. At the same time, Mourning was extremely proud as a player, and Larry probably had a point when he said Zo’s greed ultimately undid the team. Whatever the case, it’s a shame that they couldn’t get along because those Hornets teams were among the best Charlotte has ever had. If they had been able to put aside their differences both would be higher on the list.

Jan 25, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace (45) passes off in front of Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) in the second half of their NBA basketball game at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports

2.) Gerald Wallace

The Bobcats rescued Crash from a destiny of obscurity on the end of the Sacramento bench in the 2004 expansion draft. During three seasons as a King, Wallace played a paltry 1300-plus minutes. He nearly doubled that in his first season in Charlotte. If we were discussing just the greatest Bobcats, this list would be much shorter, and Gerald Wallace would be indisputably at the top of it. He will forever hold the distinction of being the first and only Charlotte Bobcat to play in an All-Star game, doing so in 2010. At the end of that same season, Wallace earned First Team All-NBA Defense honors.

Crash spent 6 1/2 seasons in Charlotte, appearing in 454 games and logging 16,718 minutes. Both figures are third most in franchise history. Wallace also has the third most rebounds and blocks in Hornets history. Additionally, he places second in points and steals (also personal fouls and turnovers, but we’ll ignore that).

On the whole, Wallace will likely be remembered as a slightly above average player that happened to fill out an All-Star roster one year. He’s much more than that in Hornets history, though. Not only was Gerald one of the longest tenured members in the team’s history, he was a beacon of hope.

Even after his departure, Gerald Wallace has been a gift to the Charlotte franchise. In 2011, Wallace was dealt to Portland in exchange for some roster flotsam and two future first round picks. One of those picks became PJ Hairston, who was part of the trade that brought in Courtney Lee last year. The other, through a long and winding road I would recommend you avoid, turned into Nicolas Batum. Should this current Hornets team have some real success, we all have Crash to thank.

Dec 2, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets former shooting guard Dell Curry is presented the key to Buzz City during a halftime ceremony at the game against the Golden State Warriors at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

1.) Dell Curry

Dell Curry benefits the most from the longevity argument. Progeny aside, there was never anything particularly special about Wardell Curry I. Dell never lead the league in three-point field goals, despite being known primarily for long distance shooting. While that can be explained by his role as a sixth man for most of his career, Curry only led the NBA in three-point percentage one time in his career.

Don’t get me wrong, Dell was a fantastic shooter, especially for the era he played in. In fact, his career mark of 40.2% from deep is top 30 in the league’s history. A player like Curry would undoubtedly be very valuable in today’s game. That doesn’t change the fact that he’s not the type of guy that comes to mind when thinking about the most important players in a franchise’s history.

With that said, no one hangs around the NBA for 16 seasons by accident. Curry’s penchant for stabilizing bench units year in and year out provided the Hornets some much-needed continuity amongst the roster’s tumult in the mid-90s. While stars came and went throughout the decade, Dell played over 17,000 minutes in 701 games as a Hornet. As a result, Curry has a place in the top 10 of every single traditional counting statistic in franchise history:

Curry’s involvement with Charlotte on and off the court cements his place on this list. Dell was quite literally the original Hornet. Charlotte used its first pick in the 1988 expansion draft to select Curry from the Cavaliers. Dell was a young man and a new father upon his arrival in Charlotte. Curry went from being an end of the bench after thought to one of the premier sixth men in the league. After playing for two teams in two seasons, Dell became a beacon of stability during a decade spent in Charlotte.

The Queen City watched the Curry family grow, as the young Stephen was joined by siblings Seth and Sydel. The Curry children were always present, whether shooting around on the court after a game, making friends with the team on the sidelines, or in the stands for a game. Dell’s family became Charlotte’s family in those years.

The Curry connection to The Tar Heel state remains strong to this day. All three of Dell’s children attended college in North Carolina. The Dell Curry foundation has helped at-risk youth in Charlotte since 1998. And, of course, Dell is the color commentator for Hornets games on Fox Sports South. There is truly no greater Hornet than Dell Curry.

Nov 12, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornet mascot Hugo congratulates Tracy Cermak as she finishes third in the women

Wrap Up

If you’re curious, David Wesley and Al Jefferson were probably the toughest to leave out. For me, though, while Wesley was a good player who spent four years in Charlotte, he never moved the needle all that much. As for Jefferson, his time in Charlotte was shorter than it felt like. He had a fantastic season his first year here, but injuries and age caused a steep drop-off in performance and court time his last couple seasons. He averaged about 20 missed games per season as a Hornet. Raymond Felton probably deserves some love as well, but my reasoning for him was similar to David Wesley.

I desperately wanted to find a way to include Jamal Mashburn as well. Monster Mash was a member of the Charlotte/NOLA teams, with only two of his seasons coming in Charlotte. As was the case with his entire career, injuries forced Mashburn to miss around half his games as a Hornet. Analytics and advanced statistics never really loved Jamal, but he was one of my favorite players regardless.

This piece was a lot of fun to research and to write. Hopefully, you have some disagreements, but don’t feel I’ve made any egregious oversights or inclusions.