Charlotte Bobcats
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The Charlotte Bobcats are a National Basketball Association team based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Contents |
Home arenas
- Charlotte Coliseum (2004-2005)
- Charlotte Bobcats Arena (2005-present)
Franchise history
When the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season, the city and the NBA agreed to create a new team in Charlotte for the 2004-05 season. Several ownership groups, including one led by former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, made bids for the team. In the end, a group led by BET founder Robert L. Johnson won out. Johnson is one of the first prominent African American owners in U.S. sports. Another notable co-owner is minority owner and rapper Nelly.
The Bobcats' name was voted upon, with the other possible choices having been the Charlotte Dragons or the Charlotte Flight (which actually won the public vote). Despite not winning this vote, ultimately it was Johnson's call all along, as he went with his personal favorite, "Bobcats." The bobcat is one of the few indigenous predators to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County area of North Carolina. That paired with the fact that Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers made the cat-theme a natural choice to carry over to its new basketball team. It is often stated that another reason for the team's name is a derivation of the owner's name since he is a "cat named Bob."
One of the ironies in the formation of the franchise, was the fact that despite numerous failed attempts at the ballot box to fully fund a new arena downtown, the city politicians decided to go ahead with the plans anyway and laid on a hotel and leisure tax in Charlotte to help pay for it. It was George Shinn, owner of the Hornets, who wanted the city of Charlotte to pay for a new arena all on its own as well, but didn't get it, and subsequently left town. Johnson waltzed in and received probably an even better deal, as he actually receives the profits made off of the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeastern division, along with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards.
The Bobcats held their expansion draft on Tuesday, June 22 2004, picking up such seasoned players as Predrag Drobnjak and talented youngsters such as Gerald Wallace. However, Drobnjak would never play for the team, instead signing a one year contract with the Atlanta Hawks. They also traded with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire the second pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, which they used to select Emeka Okafor. He went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2005.
Their first game was a 103-96 loss to the Washington Wizards on November 4, 2004. They won their first game in franchise history over the Orlando Magic 111-100 on November 6. After losing their next 7 the Bobcats stunned the defending champion Detroit Pistons 91-89, proving though an expansion team they would not be pushovers. On December 14, the Bobcats really gave their fans something to roar about beating the New Orleans Hornets 94-93 in overtime in the team's first trip to Charlotte after the move. The Bobcats would go on to post an 18-64 record finishing in 4th place. After the regular season, they finished with the best record in one of the NBA's summer leagues, the Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City. In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Bobcats drafted two UNC players: guard Raymond Felton and forward Sean May. With these two players, in addition to Okafor, the Bobcats hoped to build a young, solid foundation for future success.
Players of note
- Gerald Wallace
- Sean May
- Emeka Okafor
- Raymond Felton
- Jumaine Jones
- Brevin Knight
Current roster
Media Coverage
Bobcats basketball is heavily covered by News 14 Carolina which is owned by Time-Warner cable. Select games will be shown on WJZY(UPN) in Charlotte and on WRDC (UPN) in Raleigh.
External links
- Official Charlotte Bobcats website
- Summer Pro League where Bobcats will play in the summer
- Charlotte Bobcats InsideHoops.com coverage
- Sports E-Cyclopedia
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