CHARLOTTE, NC — A lot of excitement Wednesday for the regular season return of the Charlotte Hornets, and the team did not disappoint. They tied it up in the fourth quarter, then went on to win 108 – 106 over the Bucks.
It’s been a total of 12 years that the city of Charlotte either didn’t have a team, or watched an under-performing Bobcats team. That all changed Wednesday night when a playoff-caliber Hornets team made their triumphant return to the Queen City. And the fans couldn’t wait.
The Buzz is back! The Hornets’ return to Charlotte was a long time coming for fans, and they couldn’t wait to let out their excitement in the home opener against the Bucks. There were a lot of younger fans at the arena who never saw the original Charlotte Hornets play. But they were just as excited to see their new-look team Wednesday in the home opener.
History lesson now: back on opening night in the Hornets’ first season ever in 1988, the team asked everyone to wear tuxedos to make it a formal affair. In Wednesday’s return, the team did one better: they gave all fans tuxedo t-shirts to replicate that buzz.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern played a big role in the return of the Hornets name, so it’s fitting that he was in Charlotte for Wednesday’s game. “I think it was kind of a way for them to signify that going back to a name is a new beginning, and everyone rallied behind it,” said Stern.
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