The Charlotte Bobcats Continue Leaping Towards Post-Season Play By Rick Grantham At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

What happens when your favorite NBA team moves to another city? Fans of the Charlotte Hornets asked that question in 2002, when their beloved team relocated to New Orleans. However, the NBA answered that question of fretting fans, by quickly naming the Charlotte Bobcats as an expansion team that would hit the hard-court running, in 2004. The team made history by becoming the first franchise in professional sports, with an African-American majority owner. That was Robert Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Here are some factoids about the city of Charlotte, North Carolina:

• It was named for the wife of King George II (England).
• Its nickname is the “Queen City.”
• It was founded in 1750, and then incorporated in 1768
• Its population in 2000 was roughly 541,000
• Its major economic fields include manufacturing, retail trade, and services

Here are some highlights of the Charlotte Bobcats’ first four seasons:

2004-2005:

Charlotte received the second overall pick in their first NBA draft. They chose Emeka Okafor, who had just won a NCAA National Championship with the Connecticut Huskies. The Bobcats played their first game (at home) on November 4th, 2004. Unfortunately, they lost their season and franchise opener to the Washington Wizards, 103-96.

As expected for an expansion team, the Bobcats’ first season was somewhat of an uphill battle. A highlight of the season was Emeka Okafor’s winning the Rookie of the Year award. He ended the season averaging 15.1 points per game, and 10.9 rebounds per game.

2005-2006

At the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, the Bobcats had reasons to think positively. First, the team opened its new home: the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Secondly, the Charlotte Bobcats had drafted two University of North Carolina players from the previous year’s championship squad: Sean May and Raymond Felton. While the Bobcats started the season strongly, they experienced a huge setback when Okafor’s ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The big cats finished their season with a record of 26-56. At the season’s conclusion, Michael Jordan, famed Chicago Bulls player, became a minority owner of the Bobcats.

2006-2007

The Bobcats continued to improve. During their third season, they beat the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The latter two teams eventually played each other in the 2007 NBA Finals. Nevertheless, the Bobcats were still a work in progress, and finished the regular season with a 33-49 record.

2007-2008

The Bobcats had made several personnel changes during the offseason, hoping to build upon their improvements of the previous year. This included the trading of players and the hiring of a new head coach. Unfortunately, Charlotte actually lost one fewer game than they had the previous season, earning a 32-50 record. At the end of the season, the Bobcats changed head coaches again, bring onboard Larry Brown, the basketball Hall of Fame coach.

Soon after the Hornets flew out of Charlotte, the Bobcats leaped into town. Use Charlotte Bobcats merchandise to cheer on your favorite big cats!

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