Tyrus Thomas to the Hornets! Oh wait...

Well. Thanks David. More on the signing shortly.

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Bobcats Take The Next Step

In a delightful twist of fate, the Charlotte Bobcats clinched the franchise's first playoff berth last night against the New Orleans Hornets. It was very fitting considering the next step taken by the Bobcats came with a victory over the team that had abandoned the Queen City 8 years ago. The Bobcats have struggled for their six years to gain acceptance in the Charlotte community; some of it has been their fault, but some of it was from the scar the Hornets left on the city. It was a bitter parting and both sides regret what transpired. The central antagonist in the drama, George Shinn even admitted he is disapointed with how he handled it. Nevertheless the parting led to a struggle for the fledgling Bobcats to gain a following. New ownership and leadership this season has paid dividends on the court and with the fans. The seats in Time Warner Cable Arena are no longer sparsely filled and the team on the court plays exciting, Larry Brown basketball.

In the Bobcats 104-103 win last night the two direct ties to the respective directions of the franchises had contrasting games. Emeka Okafor, who is as good a guy as you will ever see in pro sports, finished with 7 points on 3-4 shooting and 9 rebounds in 23 minutes. Tyson Chandler collected 16 and 10 in 33 minutes of work on 7-9 shooting. The two were traded for each other in the offseason. Chris Paul, the player taken before the Bobcats could get him in the draft, another local North Carolina product that left for New Orleans and attained glory, could only watch from the sidelines in a suit.

It seems hokey to attempt to point to this game as a cathartic moment in sports, but given the history of these teams, the city of Charlotte, and what the win last night gave the Bobcats I think it makes sense. You really cannot move forward until you reconcile your past. It was poetic justice, something that is not always doled out in sports. The Hornets and Charlotte had a love affair, and when it turns into a messy parting of ways it takes a lot to get over it. Most of all it takes time. Like the old adage goes; you wake up in the morning and it hurts a little less each day. Now that the Bobcats are functioning in a positive manner, the city can embrace them. Charlotte has found someone new and after being just a rebound relationship for the city, it has found a lasting partner. The Hornets will never be forgotten, and we look back time to time at old memories which gave us great joy.



/wipes tear away from eyes

The Bobcats likely first round opponent will be the Orlando Magic, the team that reached the finals last year. It is unlikely the Bobcats will win, but the team is on the path to something special. Larry Brown has brought teams to the next level time and time again it appears he will do the same for the Cats. Wherever they go from here, I think the win and who it was against last night signifies the legitimacy of the league approving a second franchise for Charlotte seven years ago.

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Sometimes You Forget: Grandma Ma

Today there was news of a former UNLV player auctioning their 1990 Championship ring on Ebay. The player has yet to be named, and it is doubtful that it is Larry Johnson but the mention of his name brought back a lot of memories for someone who grew up in Charlotte. I can still smell the aroma of nachos and popcorn in the Charlotte Coliseum.

LJ was the first round pick of the Hornets in 1991 and was the catalyst for their run of success in the 1990s. The next year the Hornets picked Alonzo Mourning second which created one of the best tandems of the decade in the NBA and in NBA Jam. Johnson won Rookie of the Year and became the Hornets' first All-Star in 1993.



The Hornets, who were known for their tremendous home crowds and at the time trendy teal and purple colors, became one of the more popular teams in the league. In 1993 the Hornets made the playoffs and faced the Celtics, the old guard. In a series that marked a true contrast of teams, and the unfortunate end of Reggie Lewis's career(rest assured Johnny Newman is still guarding him), the Hornets pulled out the series with a Alonzo Mourning winner with .4 seconds left in game 4.



So many epic things in that video, the least of which was the Hornet dancers, the Honeybees, running out to join the midcourt celebration or Alan Bristow's hair. Charlotte fell to the New York Knicks in the next series.

The next year the Hornets won 50 games in 1994-95 and faced the Jordan-No.45 edition Bulls in the first round. The 3-1 series defeat was the end of the Hornets as we knew them. LJ signed the most lucrative contract in the league at the time, a 12-year, $84 million contract. This contract was only part of the schism that developed between LJ and Alonzo and Hornets management. Mourning wanted to be the big dog and the Hornets refused to pay him like one; he was traded to the Miami Heat after the 1995 season for Glenn Rice and Matt Geiger. Johnson soon developed back problems and never recovered his former explosive form. In 1996 he was traded to the Knicks for Anthony Mason and the juggernaut that was Brad LoHaus. In two years the Hornets rose up as the Young Guns of the NBA but egos, money, and a bad back tore it all down.

LJ became a fan favorite on the Knicks but never was able to put up his All-Star numbers. He got in a tiff with Bill Walton, hit a memorable 4-pointer, and even settled some unfinished business with Alonzo in the playoffs.

LJ retired in 2001 but in the minds of Charlotte Hornets fans he will always be remembered for his time in the Queen City and his Grandma Ma persona. Johnson has been mostly absent from the public eye but he will never be forgotten by Hornets fans, or fans of Urkel.

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Sometimes You Forget: The Baron Davis Dunk

Last night the Charlotte Bobcats dispatched of the Clippers and their intrepid point guard Baron Davis 94-73. Sometimes I do forget that the Beard Baron was once a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Catfish and I were privileged enough to be at this game where Davis had one of the best dunks I have ever seen in person on then Minnesota Timberwolf Kevin Garnett. Perhaps this is where KG got his anything is possible inspiration. One of the greatest parts of this event was that there was a group of Minnesota fans a few rows ahead of us and they were making quite a scene about how great they were and how legendary KG was. After this dunk though, they resigned themselves to solemn clapping when the T-Wolves did anything positive.

The video footage is below and although it is fuzzier than the Zapruder film, you get the feel for the dunk. Anything relating to the Charlotte Hornets always brings back the memories from that special little place inside like seeing the old Coliseum and the bee trail flowing out from center court. Throw it down, Baron, throw it down.

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