Charlotte Hornets Set Sights On Being NBA’s Premier Franchise

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 24: (L-R) Coby White #3, Ryan Kalkbrenner #11, Grant Williams #2 and LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets look on in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Spectrum Center on March 24, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

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Since the city’s return to the NBA in 2004, Charlotte has experienced some difficulties..

The Bobcats had just two winning seasons from 2004-14, and were swept out of the playoffs both times.

In the years after re-assuming the Hornets identity for the 2014-15 campaign, the club notched just two winning seasons (2015-16, 2021-22), zero playoff series wins and couple play-in tournament losses.

And while 2025-26 saw Charlotte achieve its highest win total (44) in a decade, the club doesn’t appear ready to call the season a success just yet.

Winning Over Everyone

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons anointed the Hornets as an NBA League Pass team worth tuning into all the way back in October, and Charlotte picked up a slew of national fans en route to this year’s play-in appearance and near-miss on a division title.

That’s all well and good. But the real work started with the Hornets’ front office and players putting in the work to reengage with the Charlotte community and its fans, as it recommits to building a winner in the Queen City.

“Between the team temporarily leaving the city and a stretch without consistent success on the court, that connection (with fans) was strained,” Charlotte Hornets President of Business Operations Shelly Cayette-Weston recently told Forbes.

“Our primary mission now is to reconnect with that passionate base, while also engaging new fans across the Carolinas, because the fans are the lifeblood of our organization. We are building a winning culture – on and off the court – they can be proud of.”

The Hornets were No. 13 in total attendance this season, at over 767,000. That figure was Charlotte’s highest this century, and the team even drew more than the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cayette-Weston notes that the Hornets had 25 sellouts this year, including the final 15 home contests.

“That’s real progress, and something we haven’t experienced in recent years,” she said. “The fans have bought into our vision and joined us on this journey, and we’re now seeing the results: winning and fun basketball.”

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 24: Charlotte Hornets fans look on during their game against the Sacramento Kings at Spectrum Center on March 24, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

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Bigger Picture For The Buzz

It’s been a purposeful build for Charlotte since the new ownership group, led by Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, took over in 2023.

The team has moved to hire talented and experienced people to execute on the new vision, including President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson (from the Brooklyn Nets), Head Coach Charles Lee (from the Boston Celtics) and Cayette-Weston (from the Cleveland Cavaliers).

Charlotte’s braintrust also oversaw a $245 million investment into Spectrum Center renovations, including new seats, concession improvements and more technological advancements to modernize and improve the in-arena experience.

“In five years, when people think of the Charlotte Hornets, I want the first thing that comes to mind to be that we are a premier NBA franchise where our organization is synonymous with a winning culture and a fan experience that is second to none,” said Cayette-Weston.

As the team invests in fan culture and facilities, the part that really brings it all together – and gets both new and old supporters excited – is the talent on the court.

Charlotte aims to build something unique to its city and the Carolinas as a whole, but also acknowledges taking notes from around the league. Franchises like Golden State and Cleveland have built winning cultures that excite fans thanks in part to business savvy. But crucially, these were also smart and methodical roster builds in the early going.

That exciting step is where the Hornets find themselves now, thanks in part to one rookie from Duke.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets gestures after a play during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images)

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Drafting A Transformational Core

Rookie of the year frontrunner Kon Knueppel has been an electric addition to this Hornets roster – and one that the existing face of the franchise LaMelo Ball reportedly pushed to add in advance of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Knueppel led the league with 273 three-pointers made (one more than Ball) and scored 18.5 points per game, while also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists. During one particularly hot month for Charlotte in February, Kon averaged 21.5 points and 4.5 made threes per game en route to the Hornets going 8-3; right on the back of stretch where the team won six straight to finish up January.

Impressively, he’s not even the only standout rookie on this team, either.

The Hornets saw significant contributions from Sion James and Kalkbrenner all season, and the three young standouts also helped open up things for Charlotte’s returning veterans to break out as well.

Third-year forward Brandon Miller led the team in points-per-game scoring, and set new career highs for total points, total rebounds and three-point percentage. LaMelo Ball made nearly 100 more threes than last year, and hit them at a higher percentage too, while also becoming a bigger factor as a facilitator and rebounder than in previous years.

These are all home-grown players for the Hornets who can be – and already are – foundational pieces for a longer run of success.

While the comparison to the Steph Curry-led Warriors are premature, it’s easy to forget that his early years with Golden State were plagued by injuries and losing.

During Curry’s first three seasons, the Warriors went 85-145. Over the next two years, the team finished sixth in the West both times, but won just one playoff series.

What happened after, once Steve Kerr came in, became one of the most impressive runs of success in league history. But it started with Golden State building the foundation around electric guard play, exciting basketball and acquiring young talent that fit the larger organizational idea.

Whether Tuesday night’s play-in game against the Miami Heat is a win or not, Charlotte could be in the early stages of writing a similar story for their franchise.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com