HoopsHype.com Columns

Larry Legend shoots for Charlotte
by Bill Paterson / May 23, 2002

Okay, let's ponder both insurmountable reasons why the NBA should absolutely not, under any circumstances, give Charlotte another franchise. Not even if Robert Parish comes out of retirement. (He is retired, isn't he?)

Issue number one: the fickle fancy of fans. Remember when being awarded a professional sports franchise was a life-altering accomplishment for a city? They competed against one another with the ferocity of Ben Wallace going after a loose ball. When those efforts paid off, it was like every last citizen had won the lottery. Fans pledged their undying allegiance and gave their hearts, souls and wallets to their new teams. It would take a decade of futility to keep the cheering throngs at home.

Now, with fan apathy at its zenith, we have the Charlotte faithful avoiding games as though Dennis Rodman were giving out lapdances despite the fact that the team was highly competitive and might still be playing, had Jamal Mashburn not been injured. So why the cold shoulder down south? Well, you see, they don't particularly like owner George Shinn. He's not of the proper moral fiber for their tastes, so the Hornets get to play before fewer people than Wilt Chamberlain had relations with. Coincidentally, this phenomenon is also a sign of the Apocalypse.

It says here that Charlotte has a long way to go to restore its status as a true sports town. Whatever happens, you are supposed to support your team to the bitter end. Give Charlotte another team, and maybe fans won't like their colors. Or perhaps the new arena won't have convenient parking. Heaven knows what other atrocities might keep them away. If the NBA is to expand, put Charlotte at the bottom of the list. Just after Boise.

Which brings us to issue number two: the NBA should not, in fact, expand. This is a league that boasts players like Wesley Person, Matt Harpring, Jahidi White and Chris Whitney as starters. There are not, by any stretch of the most vivid imagination, enough talented players to fill the 29 teams already in place.

Do we really want to sit through a 72-64 nail-biter between the "Charlotte Birds" and, say, the Jordan-less Wizards? A game highly likely to feature an appearance by Chucky Brown? Don't laugh. That's exactly what we'll be treated to should the league elect to return to North Carolina.

As it stands, the league faces the immense challenge of bringing fundamentals back to the game - a task within the realm of possibility only because of the insurgence of European players who learn the game's nuances early on. Putting another dozen borderline players on display every night is certain to bring the sloppiness quotient up a few notches - and TV revenues down a few.

What, pray tell, might the roster of this Charlotte team look like? Robert Pack at point guard? Gary Trent at forward? Ike Austin in the middle? Perhaps a couple of ill-prepared high school pups could round out this
stellar starting five. Best of all, Charlotte could lure away a player like Voshon Lenard from Denver, opening up a spot on that team for some other has-been or never-was.

Make no mistake: the talent pool in the NBA is in the shallow end at the moment. Whatever magic elixir it takes to cure the league's attendance woes, a diluted product is definitely not it.

Bill Paterson is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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