5 memorable Charlotte Hornets moments

When the Bobcats officially became the Hornets earlier this week, many of us excitedly went nostalgia hunting for old Hornets videos, images, and stories. Doing so reminded me how largely uneventful original Hornets history was (Dell Curry holds the franchise record for points, for God's sake), lasting only 14 seasons in Charlotte before moving to New Orleans.

Don't get me wrong, the fans were great back then, and the Hornets had some good teams. They finished .500 or better in each of their last 10 seasons in Charlotte, made the playoffs in seven of those seasons, and even had three 50-win seasons in four years from 1994-95 through 1997-98. Plus, anyone associated with the NBA in any way should be thrilled that the Bobcats name is already fading into the distance.

But putting a list together of memorable Hornets moments from years gone by was both tough - because such moments were few and far between - and easy in the sense that only a handful or so exist.

Nonetheless, those moments exist, and even though they actually occurred as part of the franchise that is now the New Orleans Pelicans, part of Charlotte getting the Hornets name back included them reclaiming Old Hornets history and lineage as their own. The buzz is back!

So without further ado, here are five memorable moments from the Hornets' original run in Charlotte...

Hornets upset Celtics on buzzer-beater
In their fifth season of existence and first trip to the playoffs, a Hornets team led by Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Muggsy Bogues and Dell Curry upset the Robert Parish/Dee Brown Celtics in the opening round on this Mourning buzzer beater in Game 4:

The hive is alive!

Unfortunately, the series is remembered for Reggie Lewis collapsing in a Game 1 Celtics win. Lewis, of course, tragically died that summer when he collapsed again during an off-season court session.

Drafting and trading Kobe Bryant
Maybe it was understood that Kobe Bryant only wanted to play for the Lakers, maybe it wasn't. But all history will show is that the Charlotte Hornets drafted Bryant 13th overall out of Lower Merion High School in 1996, then traded his rights to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.

Divac and other new additions - like Anthony Mason - helped the Hornets to a franchise record 54 wins in 1996-97, but come on.

Glen Rice wins All-Star Game MVP
Glen Rice averaged 26.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in that 54-win Hornets season, which included him shooting an astonishing 47 percent from three-point range on over five attempts per game. It was enough to get him in the top-five in MVP voting and an All-NBA 2nd Team selection. 

But perhaps the most memorable Rice moment from 1996-97 was his record 20 points in one quarter (third quarter) of an All-Star game and 24 points in one half. We'll just ignore the fact that he won All-Star Game MVP despite shooting just 10-of-24 for the game.

Glen Rice drops 48 on the Celtics
There's no video evidence available online, but in a 122-121 overtime victory against the Celtics on March 6, 1997, Rice played 52 of 53 minutes and scored 48 points on 18-of-27 (66.7%) shooting. He also added four rebounds, an assist, and a block in a game that stands as the franchise record scoring performance again, now that Hornets history is no longer tied to Pelicans history. Take that, Jamal Mashburn!

2001 playoff run
In their second-last season in Charlotte, the Hornets came as close as they ever have to the Conference Finals, losing a hard fought seven-game series to the Bucks in the second round after upsetting the third-seeded Heat in a first round sweep. This 2001 run is likely the last real memory of Charlotte Hornets basketball most people have.

Baron Davis!

The All Original-Charlotte-Hornets Team
G: Muggsy Bogues
G: Dell Curry
F: Glen Rice
F: Larry Johnson
C: Alonzo Mourning