New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets is a professional basketball team based in New Orleans, LA.  It plays in the Southwest Division of the National Basketball Association (NBA).  The franchise began play during the 1988-89 NBA season as the Charlotte Hornets.

Contents[hide]
     1 Franchise history
          1.1    Charlotte
               1.1.1    What could have been
               1.1.2    On the rise
          1.2    New Orleans
               1.2.1    Before Katrina
               1.2.2    After Katrina
2. Team mascots
3. Future

Franchise history[edit]

Charlotte[edit]

In 1985, the year Tetris was released; George Shin decided that it is fitting to start an NBA franchise in Charlotte as a tribute.  David Stern, apparently amused by Shin’s reasons decided to play along.  He allowed the team into the league knowing that North Carolina will soon be all over the news because of one Leroy Smith (who legally changed his last name to Jenkins and started playing WoW until the time of writing)[citation needed].

What could have been[edit]

In the 1996 draft, the Hornets chose Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick.  But Kobe pulled a Rubio.

On the rise[edit]

There’s not much to say here except the Hornets had great players like Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, Glen Rice, and Matt Geiger(!)[says who?].  Well, he (Geiger) did stop a trade sending Allen Iverson to the Pistons in 2000.  Guess that didn’t matter.

New Orleans[edit]

Before the move to New Orleans, Shin was offered by some random guy named Michael Jordan moneys to be a part-owner.  Knowing full well that Kwame Brown will never be worth that first pick used on him by Jordan, Shin decided to pack up and leave before Jordan can ruin his team too.  That and the parties in Bourbon Street are just rawesome!

Before Katrina[edit]

With the move, they were squeezed into a division along with San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and the Memphis Grizzlies.  Shin immediately thought texted Jordan if he still want to own part of the team, to which Jordan said, “sure…NOT!”

Before Katrina can hit New Orleans, the team already shipped out its valuables like Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn to other cities. The team’s roster after the trades includes Jackson Vroman and Casey Jacobsen (who now writes for SLAM (who gave me a totally cool shirt(!))).

After Katrina[edit]

You know what they say about the sun coming out after the storm?  I don’t.  But the Hornets got Chris Paul in the 2005 draft and that’s gotta be worth more than whatever they say about the sun and storms.

Team Mascots[edit]

Hugo.  He likes to jump through rings of fire and dunking.  Also, setting fires to basketball arenas.  He’s still cool though.

Although not an official team mascot, this baby makes appearances on Hornets games. Yikes!

Future[edit]

We have Li’l Buckets and Li’l Dimes.  We just need Li’l Boards, Li’l Swats, and Li’l Swipes, and we’re the next Saints!

P.S.
Dear Hornets247.Com,
Please let me win because I really wanna put on a New Orleans jersey very soon.

Sincerely,
Chris Paul