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I am sure there are many who really remember what winning was REALLY like, but others who have only known frustration.

As an original adult fan when the Hornets were first a dream, then conceived, then debuted at the old coliseum, my memories go way back. It’s really amazing what a good run we had once the team hit some lottery luck with great picks, coupled with quality players we started with. Even after Shinn and company made some stupid decisions (re-sign LJ even with a bad back & trade Alonzo instead of paying him market value), our GM Bob Bass kept making lemonade from lemons! Teams with 50+ win seasons and regular playoff members. It was FUN. Then we lost our team.

For a long time now, the Bobcats/Hornets have been either putrid or just average.

How many RealGM members were here and really remember the winning feeling?

Unfortunately my best memories are of a hobbled Al Jefferson and us getting obliterated by Miami in the playoffs.

Its been a long time, and even the original Hornets were masters of disappointment. Blowing those last two games against the Bucks in 01 playoffs, where we could have given the 76ers a series in the ECF. That was the last team I was most excited about.

I was around during those years as well. The LJ contract was a killer but Bob Bass did do a good job in trading LJ for Anthony Mason and getting some good players for Alonzo Mourning. Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, and a couple of other guys we got helped the team to continue to be competitive. Bob Bass was probably under appreciated but did make the best out of bad situations. Hope Kupchak can do the same.

The last "winning" i remember was when Al jefferson went ham for half a season and then we signed Lance and we all thought we were gonna be great.

and then Al became a chicken addicted pothead and Lance went even crazier than he already was. Good times, good times.

The last winning season I remember is the 48 win team that lost in 7 games to Miami, but that was just a flicker of hope not really sustained success.

I do remember when Charlotte was a model small market franchise, sort of like Utah East. Perpetually a playoff team, even when players demanded out or got gobbled up by marquee teams Charlotte always found a way to keep afloat. Bob Bass was a huge part of that as has been mentioned, the Hornets consistently found gems in the latter half of the draft (or undrafted free agency), the role players they signed generally ended up being good (David Wesley, Bobby Phills) with the exception of Derrick Coleman.

In addition to all that when the franchise had high picks they hit with them. The history of top 5 picks up until relocation were LJ, Zo, Kendall Gill, Baron Davis, JR Reid (I may be forgetting someone) and that is a damn solid job of picking up talent when you have a premium pick. I remember in 1999 when the Hornets beat the odds to move up from like the 14th slot to the 3rd pick. One of the Charlotte stations, I think it was Channel 9, interviewed Bob Bass and he was absolutely giddy. I remember him listing off Brand, Francis, Baron, Odom in some order and saying we were going to get a great player picking 3rd no matter how things shook out. He ended up being correct, all four of those guys were great, and he absolutely crushed the pick by choosing Baron.

My greatest hope for this franchise is that Mitch (or someone else eventually) picks up where Bass left off, someone who knows how to guide a small market team with the unique disadvantages they have to deal with. Draft well, don't sign dumb contracts and consistently win. Basically all the stuff that has not happened since the revival.

I remember Paul Silas, Dave Cowens, and Allan Bristow ... just like I remember Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glenn Rice, and Baron Davis. But mostly I remember Bob Bass being a freaking magician.

None of the Clifford coached teams, even the two winning ones, really made me enjoy the team the way any of those older seasons did.

Interesting that some posters remember the 2013-14 Al Jefferson year more than the recent 2015-16 Batum contract year as the last winning season. We had a better record and were more competitive in the playoffs in the latter.

catch20two wrote:Interesting that some posters remember the 2013-14 Al Jefferson year more than the recent 2015-16 Batum contract year as the last winning season. We had a better record and were more competitive in the playoffs in the latter.

Yes, good observation. We remember players more than the records. But, sustained success is the real elixir for fans. That feeling that any year could be THAT year for a conference championship.

Should have went to the finals in 01. Had a really good team that year and blew it against the Bucks. Firmly believe we would have beat Philly in 7.

I've been around since the start. I fondly remember when we turned the corner with LJ and Zo and started winning close games.

Bass truly was a genius making the best of one bad situation after another. But I never really got over losing Mourning. It felt like we were just one piece away right before that trade.

SpearNMgicHelmt wrote:But I never really got over losing Mourning. It felt like we were just one piece away right before that trade.

No kidding. I was distraught. Even wrote full lyrics to a parody of the song “American Pie”, that essentially replaced the subject of the hit record (Buddy Holly’s death) with the Morning trade representing the death of the team as we knew it. In some ways it was, but Bass’ skill in dealing and drafting brought us some other great players.

If only Jamal Mashburn hadn't suffered that vertigo crap. What might have been...

Eoghan wrote:If only Jamal Mashburn hadn't suffered that vertigo crap. What might have been...

I remember that, what crazy ****. That condition he came down with was genetically inherited, incredibly rare and if I remember correctly the Charlotte Observer claimed it was most often suffered by Greek people. Mash had the worst luck on that one.

Bassman wrote:I am sure there are many who really remember what winning was REALLY like, but others who have only known frustration.

As an original adult fan when the Hornets were first a dream, then conceived, then debuted at the old coliseum, my memories go way back. It’s really amazing what a good run we had once the team hit some lottery luck with great picks, coupled with quality players we started with. Even after Shinn and company made some stupid decisions (re-sign LJ even with a bad back & trade Alonzo instead of paying him market value), our GM Bob Bass kept making lemonade from lemons! Teams with 50+ win seasons and regular playoff members. It was FUN. Then we lost our team.

For a long time now, the Bobcats/Hornets have been either putrid or just average.

How many RealGM members were here and really remember the winning feeling?

I was in college when the Charlotte Hornets debuted in the 1988-89 season and later was a reporter who covered the Hornets in the mid-1990s. The old Charlotte Coliseum was packed every night (the Hornets led the NBA in attendance in each of its first seven seasons). The late Bob Bass took over the reins in Charlotte in 1995; it was Dave Twardzik who ran the front office during those early Charlotte runs after Allan Bristow stepped down from the front office and became the head coach.

Liver_Pooty wrote:Should have went to the finals in 01. Had a really good team that year and blew it against the Bucks. Firmly believe we would have beat Philly in 7.

I vividly remember this. That team was our most competitive of all and had we beaten the Bucks, it would’ve been a great chance to make it to the finals because we matched up well with Philly. Damn. We led the Bucks big at the half in game six too.

The refs kept calling bull fouls on PJ Brown.

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fatlever wrote:The refs kept calling bull fouls on PJ Brown.

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I recall watching the Hornets play the Bucks this season and the camera pans over the Bucks bench and I notice Ervin Johnson. I remember hating that guy along with Cassell in that series.

**** Bob Bass man he was an amazing GM that kept those good Hornets teams glued together. I would take those 50 win middle of the pack team over this crap any day.


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