Charlotte Bobcats officially changing name to Charlotte Hornets

Grand-ma-ma, Mugsy, and Zo

Last night CBSSports Eye on Basketball blog posted:

The Charlotte Bobcats are in the process of changing their name back to "Hornets," a source with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com's Will Brinson, including arranging digital assets that would allow a return to their original nickname.

There is no timetable for the switch though NBA commissioner to be Adam Silver told Bobcats season ticket holders in April that such a change would take at least 18 months to implement. Moreover, the change is not unexpected and would likely be popular with the North Carolina fan base.

The Hornets were a beloved franchise in the area when I was a kid. They also had the top selling merchandise in the NBA for many years. This is a smart move in my opinion.

As a kid, Kendall Gill was my favorite player. I remember being upset when they traded him. I always wondered if Tyrone "Mugsy" Bogues got his nickname based on the defense he played...always stealing the ball.

Although New Orleans is now the home of the original Hornets franchise that moved there in 2002, they have changed their name to the Pelicans. When I first moved to Charlotte, I talked to former communications director for the Bobcats, Michael Thompson. He told me how much rancor erupted in Charlotte when the Hornets left. That rancor spilled over into the Bob Johnson Bobcats years.

That begs the question: Did Charlotte ever give the Bobcats a fair shot?

Thompson worked for the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets and the Charlotte Bobcats in the past.

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