This article is part of a series of top North Carolina athletes and teams. As North Carolina sports betting launched in March, take a look at the top athletes across North Carolina college and professional sports.
The Charlotte Hornets joined the NBA ranks as an expansion team in 1988 and despite never playing in the NBA🤡 Finals, the franchise has had some solid players along the way. Also, it has had a confusing franchise history going from Charlotte to New Orleans to restarting in Charlotte. For this list, we will focus on players who played for the Charlotte Hornets or Bobcats in their caﷺreers.
Who 𒐪is the best Hornet🅘 ever? Check out the 10 best Charlotte Hornets players of all time.
10. LaMelo Ball – PG
Years in Charlotte: 2020-present
You might think I’m crazy and falling for the classic recency bias, but LaMelo Ball has put up solid numbers in his short career in Charlotte. Yes, he’s played less than 200 games in his career, but that’s not terrible considering the all-time leader in games played for the franchise is just 701.
In his first four seasons,🍎 Ball has made an All-Star team and was the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year while he made the All-Rookie team. In 2021-22, Ball played 75 games and averaged 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.7 rebounds. He was named an Eastern Conference A𓃲ll-Star that season.
Also, Ball has the most triple-doubles in franchise history. Check out🦋 .
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9. Jamal Mashburn – SF
Years in Charlotte: 2000-04 (kinda)
Mashburn played for the Charlotte Hornets from 2000-02 and stayed with the team for the next two years as it became t🔯he New Orleans Hornets before a knee injury ended his career. He averaged 21 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 🎃5 assists in his four years with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets.
Mashburn was an All-Star in the 2002-03 season as well as an All-NBA selection as he averaged 21.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. He also shot 38.9% from thr▨ee.
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8. Gerald Wallace – SF
Years in Charlotte: 2004-11
Gerald Wallace was one of the few consistent things about the Charlotte Bobcats as he spent just under seven seasons with the team and played 445 games. He🐓 made the All-Star team in 2010, was the steals champ in 2005-06, and was All-Defensive in 2009-10.
With the Bobcats, Wallace’s stat line was an average of 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. His best season came in 2009-10 when he averaged 18.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks as the Bobcats picked up their first winning season since re-entering the league in 2004.
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7. Baron Davis – PG
Years in Charlotte: 1999-2004 (kinda)
The Hornets took Baron Davis at number three overall in 1999 and he exploded onto the scene a few years later as he averaged 18.1 points, 8.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 2001-ꦰ02. He made the All-Star team that season and the squad moved to New Orleans the next season where Davis played until 2005 when was traded to the Warriors.
Davis made an All-Star team in New Orleans in 2004 when he averaged 22.9 points per game and at the end of the season, he was named All-NBA. While only part🌞 of his Hornets career was in Charlotte, he still ranks 5th in assists and 7th in steals in franchise history.
Davis finished his career as a two-time steals champ as he played for six teams in the league. Check out 🌜.
Read More: Best NBA players born in NC
6. Muggsy Bogues – PG
Years in Charlotte: 1988-97
Muggsy Bogues is the shortest player to ever play in the NBA at 5’3″ and he maximized his time in the league. Bogues played 10 seasons with the Hornets. He ranks first in franchise history in assists with 5,557 and steals with 1,067.
He played on three playoff teams in his tꦉime with the Hornets. Also, he aver🦋aged 10+ assists twice while averaging 8+ assists in 6 of his 10 years with the Hornets. One of his best seasons came in 1993-94 when he averaged 10.8 points, 10.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds.
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5. Dell Curry – SG
Years in Charlotte: 1988-98
Dell Curry was nailing three-pointers before it was cool and was one of the players who ushered in the new era of launching from deep as a tremendous role player. He played for the Hornets for 10 s﷽easons and averaged 14.0 points while shooting 40.5% from three-point range. Curry racked up 701 games played which is the most in franchise history.
In 82 games in 1993-94, Curry averaged 16.3 points per game and 1.2 steals while shooting 40.2% from three. He made 1.9 threes per game while shooting 45.🐈5% from the field. Curry is all over the franchise leaders board including made threes (2nd), field goals made (2nd), 2-point field goals made (1st), s🅘teals (4th), and points (2nd).
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4. Glen Rice – SF
Years in Charlotte: 1995-98
Like many of the other best Charlotte Hornets players on this list, Glen Rice’s time in Charlotte was short. His brief stint didn’t stop him from putting up huge numbers. Rice played for the Hornets for three seasons and made the All-Star team in all three campaigns.
For the Hornets, Rice averaged 23.5 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting an astounding 44.4% f💫rom three. He made the All-NBA team in 1997 and 1998 before being traded in 1999 to the𝕴 Lakers.
Rice’s best season in Charlotte included 26.8 points per game and he shot 47% from three while making 2.6 threes a game. He led the league in three-point field goal percentage and proved to be an elite scoring threat.
He is third in franchise history in three-point percentage. Rice finished in the top 10 in field goal♛s made (8th), three-point field goals made (6th), free throws made (5th), and points (6th) despite just three years with the🎶 team.
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Read More: Who is the best North Carolina NBA player ever?
3. Alonzo Mourning – C
Years in Charlotte: 1992-95
Alonzo Mourning was drafted 2nd overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by the Hornets and played three seasons in Charlotte. He was a major part of the Hornets reaching the playoffs in two of those three seasons. Mourning averaged 21.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks as a dominant force 🔯in his time in Charlottꦦe before he was traded to the Miami Heat en route to a Hall of Fame career.
Mourning made two All-Star teams in Charlotte and was a seven-time selection in his career. Most fans remember Mourning f❀or his days in Miami where he ended up a two-time block champion and made two All-NBA teams while being selected on the All-Defensive team twice. He also was on the 2006 championship team in Miami.
While his time in Charlotte was short, Mourning still r🍬anks first in franchise hi🌊story with 684 blocks while resting in the top 10 in offensive rebounds, total rebounds, free throws made, 2-point field goals, and field goal percentage.
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2. Larry Johnson – PF
Years in Charlotte: 1991-96
Larry Johnson was the Hornets’ first pick in 1991 and spent five years with the team in which he made 2 All-Star teams and was All-NBA in the 1992-93 season. He was the 1991-92 Rookie of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in his first season.
Johnson play🔯eꦯd 372 games in Charlotte and averaged 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists with the Hornets.
He ranks in the top 10 in several franchise categories including minutes played (5th), field goals made (3rd), 2-point field goals (3rd), free throws made (3rd), offensive rebounds (1st), defensive𝓡 rebounds (3rd)🐬, and points (4th).
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1. Kemba Walker – PG
Years in Charlotte: 2011-19
Kemba Walker finds himself on the top of this list as he is the franchise leader in several categories including minutes played, field goals, 3-point field g𒅌oals, and points. He made three All-Star teams with the Hornets and was All-NBA in 2018-19 when he averaged 25.6 points,♔ 5.9 assists, and 4.4 rebounds.
Walker had a great stretch from 🌸2016-19 in which he averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 37.7% from three. He also was extremely durable as he started and played 81, 79, 80, and 82 games those years.
Also, he easily passed Dell Curry’s franchise record of 929 three-pointers as Walker ended up with 1,283 threes in his career with the Hornets.
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