Franchise jumps at the chance to revive its beloved team moniker.
The Charlotte Bobcats will change their name back to the Charlotte Hornets for the start of the 2014-15 regular season, the NBA has announced.
The league’s board of governors unanimously approved the name change.
“It is so true that it was a subject of conversation for the last couple of years,” NBA boss David Stern said.
“Fans of the old Hornets would say, ‘Please give us back our Hornet name.’ I laughed at it initially. But it stayed there bubbling below the surface, and there’s something to it.”
The Bobcats’ website hailed the return of “Buzz City,” and team officials said 2,000 season-ticket holders turned out at a downtown party that turned into a celebration of the name change.
Fan favorite Muggsy Bogues and other former Hornets including Rex Chapman, Kelly Tripucka, Dell Curry and Kendall Gill attended as well.
The initial NBA franchise in Charlotte was named the Hornets and played in the city from 1988 until 2002 when the franchise moved to New Orleans.
In 2004, the city got back into the NBA when the Charlotte Bobcats became an expansion team.
Charlotte leaped at the opportunity to reclaim the name after the New Orleans club decided to changed its name to the Pelicans this offseason.
It seems the fans of the Charlotte team have wanted the change for some time, watch this clip of fans chanting for the Hornets during a Bobcats home game.
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