Game, Stop! - The Hornets Ownership Thread

[Liver_Pooty]

I made 1,500 bucks off that idiot trying to short gamestop stock. Made some off of AMC as well during that fiasco.

[countryboi]

It feels like we just traded one broke boy for another

[JDR720]

Read on Twitter

[SWedd523]

I'll readily admit that I view it from a glass-half-empty-until-proven-otherwise perspective, but none of that gave me confidence that they'd be willing to spend on players.

Lots of comments about development and culture and all that, nothing along the lines of "We're going to be aggressive in our pursuit of bringing in the best players to create a winning organization"

[LofJ]

The best teams draft and/or develop the majority of their high impact players. Curry, Klay, and Green with the Warriors. Giannis and Middleton with the Bucks, Jokic, Murray, and Porter with the Nuggets, Tatum and Brown with the Celtics, etc. They then go and find players that complement their core guys via free agency or trade.

I think we're close to being at that point. This season will be pivotal to find out who we're going to build around other than LaMelo.

[yosemiteben]

I'll readily admit that I view it from a glass-half-empty-until-proven-otherwise perspective, but none of that gave me confidence that they'd be willing to spend on players.

Lots of comments about development and culture and all that, nothing along the lines of "We're going to be aggressive in our pursuit of bringing in the best players to create a winning organization"

Read on Twitter

This was definitely repeated in the presser.

They said they would spend to build a winner. I do wish someone would have asked something along the lines of "the cap keeps going up, and some owners have been very aggressive with cap realities to the point that the new CBA has imposed new penalties for aggressive spending. Are you willing to go over the cap and into the tax to build this team? What would it take for you to be willing to do that?"

[LofJ]

Amen, Yosemite. I wish someone had asked a more direct question about spending. Hit them with the fact that the Hornets have the lowest player payroll in the league and ask them how they expect to compete when the other 29 teams in the league are all investing more.

[SWedd523]

They specifically said they'd spend on a "state of the art" practice facility

Again: When asked (quoted above) about spending for players, he went on about culture and development and emulating the Heat.

Those are all the same deflection points Mitch and MJ have used in the past.

[LofJ]

I loved the comment about emulating the Heat. When (not if) they move on from Mitch I want Schnall and Plotkin to get whoever Pat Riley has been grooming to take over for him. Offer him whatever he wants and steal whatever staff from Miami that he can get to follow him.

They took Zo from us, I want revenge.

[Rich4114]

I loved the comment about emulating the Heat. When (not if) they move on from Mitch I want Schnall and Plotkin to get whoever Pat Riley has been grooming to take over for him. Offer him whatever he wants and steal whatever staff from Miami that he can get to follow him.

They took Zo from us, I want revenge.

1000% this. This is the thing you need to do if you want to emulate the Heat. You go pair a Riley guy who is next in line for GM but sick of waiting along with Chris Quinn for HC and THAT is how you steal Heat culture and create Hornets culture. We'll never have the allure of south beach to have all of the disgruntled stars of the NBA want to come here, but we can win with a smart, young and innovative front office / coaching combo. It has worked in other pro sports and the situation here is primed for something like that.

[LofJ]

I loved the comment about emulating the Heat. When (not if) they move on from Mitch I want Schnall and Plotkin to get whoever Pat Riley has been grooming to take over for him. Offer him whatever he wants and steal whatever staff from Miami that he can get to follow him.

They took Zo from us, I want revenge.

1000% this. This is the thing you need to do if you want to emulate the Heat. You go pair a Riley guy who is next in line for GM but sick of waiting along with Chris Quinn for HC and THAT is how you steal Heat culture and create Hornets culture. We'll never have the allure of south beach to have all of the disgruntled stars of the NBA want to come here, but we can win with a smart, young and innovative front office / coaching combo. It has worked in other pro sports and the situation here is primed for something like that.

I'm sure some of the older folks on this forum remember that we came into the league with the Heat. We competed neck and neck with them until the late 90's. It all went to hell when Shinn got cheap, didn't pay Zo, and then proceeded to destroy his reputation locally.

The Heat and New Orleans have benefited from our cheapness/ineptitude ever since. Winning with players from the Carolinas and Virginia such as Zo, Paul, Bam, Ingram, Zion, etc. while we have sucked for the last two decades.

There's no reason a perennial winning organization can't be built in Charlotte. People here live and breathe basketball, they just want to support a team that actually makes every effort to compete. If new ownership commits the money to make that happen I think they will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

[Diop]

To Do List

3. Invest in the community, be part of the community,

This was the big thing that Perth wildcats introduced 20 years ago to turn the struggling team into having the best attendance record in Australia. Players were visiting schools and going to organised events at schools every week. Community service was literally in their contracts. They made sure as many people as possible had positive interactions with players off the court.

They have been selling out games for years now

[Diop]

Read on Twitter

Power move, they aren’t **** around

[amcoolio]

The culture isn't going to change until they invest in off the court - in the coaching staff, training staff, facilities, hotels, etc. The perception from players and executives around the league is that Charlotte was a notoriously cheap franchise

[LofJ]

Ignore the emotional drama queen otherwise known as Scott Fowler, I just like the quote.

Read on Twitter

[JustBuzzin]

These dudes don't look the part.

Wish MJ would have sold it to a bigger name someone who can actually get FA's and change the culture.

[JDR720]

If they invest in better staff and other things like that it'll help us get better FA's in the long run.

MJ was dirt cheap on basic accommodations and training staff.

They should treat this like an expansion team. Start at the basics at making the franchise competent and work their way up from there.

[vorbis]

agreed that seemingly everything involved with the franchise seemed to have this aura of "cheapskate." even the video production for the app/website was atrocious. it's 2023, people have better quality video and production values on twitch streams than an NBA franchise.

[Snidely FC]

Letter from Ownership this morning; nothing really new though

Dear Hornets Fans,

As lifelong basketball fans, we share your passion for the NBA. As newcomers to Charlotte, who plan to spend a lot of time here, we feel the devotion you have for this great city. As Hornets fans, we agree with and understand your desire for consistent success.

We are honored to be the new owners of the Charlotte Hornets; it is a responsibility that we do not take lightly. We are well aware of the importance of basketball in the Carolinas. An NBA team is truly a community asset, and we are its caretakers. Ultimately, this team belongs to you – the fans.

Our vision is to build a world-class organization and deliver a winning franchise for our fans throughout the Carolinas. Our ultimate goal is to bring an NBA Championship to Buzz City! We want to be an organization that wins on the court, supports the community and provides a tremendous source of pride to its fans. We understand the resources required to achieve these goals, and we plan to re-invest in the team, the facilities, the fan experience and the community, both in Charlotte and in Greensboro with the Swarm.

We will be patient owners who are committed to building our team the right way. There will be no easy fixes and we appreciate that this will take a lot of hard work from a lot of people. We are focused on developing the right processes and structure for sustainable success. We promise we’ll do all we can to make the most thoughtful decisions for the long-term health of the franchise. We owe that to our great fans and this city.

As we start the next chapter in this franchise’s history, we believe the future of the Charlotte Hornets is very bright. We’re excited to start building this organization in our vision. We are incredibly hopeful about the path ahead.

Thank you to Michael for this opportunity, for bringing stability to the organization and for positioning it for growth. Thank you to the NBA for entrusting us with this franchise.

Thank you, Hornets fans, for your unwavering support.

We look forward to seeing you at Spectrum Center this season as we celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hornets basketball.

Go Hornets!

Rick Schnall

Co-Chairman & Governor

Gabe Plotkin

Co-Chairman & Alternate Governor

And The entire Charlotte Hornets ownership group

[fatlever]

prompt: a colorful comic book style artwork of a middle age white guy, wearing a shirt and tie and a charlotte hornets hat, he is looking at a stock chart with a downward trend, he is crying, a cartoon thought bubble reads "Stupid GameStop"