Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Charlotte Hornets were founded in 1988 as an expansion team. Commissioner David Stern called owner George Shinn on the 5th of April 1987 to confirm Charlotte had been awarded the 24th NBA franchise, and the team began play in the 1988-89 season.
The Hornets relocated to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season primarily because attendance had dropped sharply, reportedly due to declining public support for owner George Shinn. The NBA approved the move before the team was even eliminated from the 2002 playoffs.
Michael Jordan acquired a minority stake in the Charlotte Bobcats on the 15th of June 2006. On the 17th of February 2010, an ownership group he led purchased a majority share, making him the first former NBA player to become majority owner of an NBA franchise. He sold his majority stake in August 2023 for $3 billion.
The Bobcats changed their name to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014-15 season after the New Orleans Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans in 2013. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the change on the 18th of July 2013. As part of the deal, Charlotte also received the full historical records of the original 1988-2002 Hornets franchise.
Kemba Walker is the Charlotte Hornets all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points, as of the end of the 2025-26 season. He also leads the franchise in minutes played with 20,607 and three-pointers made with 1,283.
In 1996, the Hornets selected Kobe Bryant 13th overall in the NBA draft, then immediately traded his rights to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac. Bryant went on to a Hall of Fame career. Divac helped Charlotte post a then-franchise-best 54-28 record in the 1996-97 season.