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New Orleans Hornets
Western Conference/Southwest Division

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History of the Hornets

The Hornets began as in North Carolina as the Charlotte Hornets in the 1988/89 campaign and finished with a dismal 20-62 record and would continue their losing ways even after collecting the number 1 pick in the draft in the 1991/92 season, Larry Johnson.  They finished that year 31-51 and earned the rights for another great draft pick in 1992 with Alonzo Mourning and were launched into the playoffs for the first time in the 1992/93 season where they were promptly knocked out in the 2nd round by the New Knicks in 5 games.

Injuries would hamper the team in the 1993/94 season as both Larry Johnson (back) and Alonso Mourning (torn calf muscle, sprained ankle) were done for the season.  The team finished at 41-41 and was again out of the playoffs.

Over the next few seasons, the Charlotte Hornets made great some great decisions (drafting Kobe Bryant, acquiring Glen Rice) and some very bad decisions (trading Kobe to Los Angeles for Vlade Divac and Larry Johnson to New York for Anthony Mason).

The Charlotte Hornets would make the playoffs 5 more times in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002 with players like Glen Rice, Mugsy Bouges, Bobby Philes, David Wesley, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell, Jamal Magolire, Baron Davis and Eddie Robinson.  The team would never make it past the 2nd round.

After the 2000/01 season, the city of Charlotte refused to give any funding to keep the embattled owner of the Hornets, George Shinn and his team in town and allowed the team to be moved to New Orleans after the 2003/04 season.

After moving to New Orleans, the Hornets would begin building for a championship team and made the playoffs in 2003, 2004 and 2008 with the 2005/06 season the most significant as they picked up Chris Paul with the 4th overall pick in the draft.  In the 2007/08 season, the upstart Hornets took the aging Defending Champion Spurs to 6 games before bowing out to experience.  With a Division Championship under his belt, look for Chris Paul to lead his team deeper into the playoffs this year and for years to come.



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New Orleans Arena
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