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Charlotte Bobcats

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» Wednesday, May 22 2013

Jordan said his hope in pursuing the Hornets name is to move the atmosphere at Time Warner Cable Arena toward what it was like at Charlotte Coliseum when he played there as a Chicago Bull in the late ’80s and ’90s. “When I first played here years ago, the thing I was totally astounded by was the energy. I wanted to bring that energy back,’’ Jordan said. “(This decision) says a lot about how we’ve taken the input from our community and put that in action.” Charlotte Observer

Jordan said the team wouldn’t try to assume the Hornets’ records from when they were in Charlotte, but is interested in embracing players from that era. “When the time comes we want to incorporate some of the past,” Jordan said. “Dell (Curry) is with the team (as a television analyst) and I believe Muggsy (Bogues) is in town.” Charlotte Observer

 

» Tuesday, May 21 2013

It’s official: The Charlotte Bobcats plan to be the Charlotte Hornets. The Bobcats formalized that intent at a 6 p.m. news conference at Time Warner Cable Arena, featuring team owner Michael Jordan. As expected, the Bobcats wouldn’t be able to implement this change until the start of the 2014-15 season, as it would take that long to do all the rebranding. Charlotte Observer

 

» Monday, May 20 2013

If the Suns hadn’t been in the Finals, and Jerry Colangelo hadn’t attended that game, who knows whether he would have warmed up to an idea that led to the expansion Diamondbacks? Michael Jordan’s 55 points led to a Bulls victory in Game 4 and left the Suns on the brink of vacation. An incident during the game left Colangelo with a double-dose of ill feelings. He was sitting with his son, Bryan, when he heard a commotion behind him where his wife, Joanie, and mother were. “What’s going on?” Colangelo asked. “The guy behind us told your mom to shut up and sit down,” Joanie said. Arizona Republic

The Bobcats will hold a press conference tomorrow at 6:00pm ET at Time Warner Cable Arena, a source said. It is expected that Bobcats Owner Michael Jordan will announce that the team will change its name to the Hornets, likely for the '14-15 season. Bobcats officials declined to comment. The Bobcats have been studying for months whether to adopt Charlotte’s original NBA franchise name, which became available after Saints Owner Tom Benson bought the then-New Orleans Hornets in '12 and this year changed its name to the Pelicans. The Hornets played in Charlotte from '88-'02 before relocating to New Orleans. Sports Business Daily

 

» Sunday, May 19 2013

Onetime Indiana University coach Kelvin Sampson, fired a little more than five years ago, is in the mix for four of the six NBA head coaching openings. Sampson, 57, has interviewed for the vacant positions at both Milwaukee and Charlotte, and is expected to interview for the openings in Philadelphia and Phoenix this week, a source close to the situation told CBSSports.com. CBSSports.com

The Charlotte Bobcats are on their way to becoming the Charlotte Hornets. The Bobcats have started pursuing a name change to Charlotte's original NBA team, an informed source confirmed to the Charlotte Observer. Though the Bobcats will need permission from the league to make such a change, incoming NBA commissioner Adam Silver has twice indicated that shouldn't be a problem. Charlotte Observer

What's still in question is when the name change could be implemented and how extensively the Bobcats would assume the Hornets' old look. The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, would not comment on whether the popular teal-and-purple color scheme would return to Charlotte. Charlotte Observer

Any change probably couldn't be implemented before the 2014-15 season. Silver said last month during a trip to Charlotte that it would take a minimum of 18 months to rebrand an NBA franchise. The league's uniform-maker, Adidas, and other licensees need that much lead time to produce branded merchandise. The Bobcats have estimated it would cost them about $3 million to rebrand because so much signage and other logo material would have to be replaced. Sources indicate both Bobcats owner Michael Jordan and outgoing NBA commissioner David Stern advocated a switch to the Hornets to better market Charlotte's team. Charlotte Observer

 

» Saturday, May 18 2013

Silver told season ticket holders re-acquiring the name "Hornets" would not be an issue, stating that the NBA and not the Pelicans owned the moniker. Acquiring and rearranging the necessary digital assets would be a major part of any change. Hornets.com and CharlotteHornets.com are owned by NBA Media Ventures, LLC and currently redirect to NBA.com/Pelicans. However, a WhoIs.net search for the domain name NBAHornets.com shows that the URL was created and registered very recently -- on May 15, 2013 to be exact -- by NBA Media Ventures, LLC. NBA Media Ventures, LLC, is the media branch of the NBA and owns NBA.com, Hornets.com and CharlotteHornets.com. CBSSports.com

 

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