The 1988–89

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

season was Charlotte's inaugural season in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

. The "Charlotte Hornets", along with the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Southe ...

, began play as expansion teams during the 1988–89 season. The team revealed a new primary logo of a hornet bouncing a basketball, and got new pinstripe uniforms, adding teal to their color scheme. In the 1988 NBA expansion draft, the Hornets selected veteran players like

Dell Curry Wardell Stephen Curry (born June 25, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1986 until 2002 and retired as the Charlotte Hornets' all-time leader in points (9,839) ...

, second-year guard

Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is a former American basketball player. The shortest player ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his 14-season caree ...

, Mike Holton,

Dave Hoppen David Dirk Hoppen (born March 13, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. Hoppen played college basketball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and is the prog ...

Ricky Green Rickey Green (born August 18, 1954) is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, a and point guard, led Chicago's Hirsch High School to the 1973 IHSA Class AA State cha ...

, and Mike Brown, who was then traded to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

in exchange for

Kelly Tripucka Peter Kelly Tripucka (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1991. He was a two-time NBA All Star and averaged over twenty points a game i ...

. The team also signed free agents;

Kurt Rambis Darrell Kurt Rambis (born February 25, 1958) is a Greek-American former professional basketball player and coach who is a senior basketball adviser for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, he won fou ...

, who won four championships with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

Earl Cureton Earl Cureton (born September 3, 1957) is an American retired professional basketball player. His nickname was "The Twirl". Amateur career Cureton played high school basketball at Finney High School in Detroit, and signed to play college basketbal ...

, and acquired Robert Reid from the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

. The Hornets received the eighth overall pick in the

1988 NBA draft The 1988 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1988, in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds. This was also the first draft for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, prior to their i ...

, and selected

Rex Chapman Rex Everett Chapman (born October 5, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and social media influencer. Chapman was a high school phenom in Kentucky, winning numerous awards for his play. In two seasons at the University of ...

from the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

Dick Harter Richard Alvin Harter (October 14, 1930 – March 12, 2012) was an American basketball coach who served as both a head and assistant coach in both the NBA and NCAA. Early life Born in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Harter attended the University of ...

was hired to be the team's first head coach. The Hornets played their first game on November 4, 1988, losing 133–93 at the

Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was operated by the Charlotte Coliseum Authority, which also oversees the operation of Bojangles' Coliseum (which was called Charlott ...

to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

. The team struggled losing 10 of their first 12 games, held a 13–35 record at the All-Star break, then posted two nine-game losing streaks between February and March, and between March and April. The Hornets finished the season last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20 wins and 62 losses, and led the NBA in home-game attendance, becoming the first expansion team to do so. Charlotte also set an all-time NBA attendance record, which was broken by

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

the following season. Tripucka led the team in scoring averaging 22.6 points per game, and finished tied in fourth place in Most Improved Player voting, while Chapman averaged 16.9 points per game, and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Reid provided the team with 14.7 points per game. In addition, Rambis provided with 11.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while Curry contributed 11.9 points per game off the bench, but only played just 48 games due to a wrist injury, Holton provided with 8.3 points and 6.3 assists per game, Cureton averaged 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, Hoppen provided with 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, and Bogues contributed 5.4 points, 7.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The team's primary logo remained in use until 2002, while the uniforms lasted until 1997, where they added side panels and additional pinstripes to their jerseys.

Offseason

Expansion draft

The team's roster was filled as a result of an

expansion draft An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or franchises. This occurs mainly in North American sports. One of the ways of stocking the new team or teams is an expansion ...

in 1988. In a

coin flip Coin flipping, coin tossing, or heads or tails is the practice of throwing a coin in the air and checking which side is showing when it lands, in order to choose between two alternatives, heads or tails, sometimes used to resolve a dispute betwe ...

, the Hornets earned the right to choose either the higher choice in the college draft or the first pick in the expansion draft, picking the former. Most teams use such drafts to pick young players and guarantee a future, but Charlotte chose veterans in order to get a competitive lineup right away.1988-89: Charlotte Stocks Roster With Veterans
nba.com/hornets, accessed 25 April 2008. * Traded for

from the

Expansion Drafts Revisited
HoopsAnalyst * Waived before the season. * Traded for Robert Reid from the

. * Sent to Portland Trail Blazers. Also sent were

of the

and

of the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

NBA Draft

Subsequent to the expansion draft, Charlotte was given the eight pick in the

1988 NBA Draft The 1988 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1988, in New York City, New York. The length was reduced from seven rounds in the previous year to three rounds. This was also the first draft for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, prior to their i ...

. They selected

, a shooting guard out of

Roster

Preseason

The Hornets' first official NBA game took place on October 14, 1988, at the

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

, and was a 118–97

preseason In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...

loss to the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Regular season

The Hornets played their first season in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.1988–89 Standings
, nba.com/history, accessed 16 June 2007. The team's first regular season NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the

, and was a 133–93 loss to the

. Despite the huge loss, the Hornets received a standing ovation at the end of the game. November 8, 1988, the team won their first game over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105. On December 23, 1988, the Hornets defeated

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

and the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

103–101 at the buzzer in Jordan's first return to

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

as a professional. During the season,

led the franchise with 22.6 points per game. Despite the Hornets mostly poor play (typical for an expansion franchise), the Hornets led the NBA in attendance during the season, selling out 36 of 41 home games (including the final 30).

Season standings

:z – clinched division title :y – clinched division title :x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

Game log

, - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 1 , , November 4, 1988 , ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, , L 93–133 , ,

, , 23,338 , , 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 2 , , November 5, 1988 , , @

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, , L 85–94 , ,

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly referred to as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena built in 1988 and located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shoc ...

, , 21,454 , , 0–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 3 , , November 8, 1988 , ,

L.A. Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

, , W 117–105 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 18,865 , , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 4 , , November 11, 1988 , , @

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, , L 87–96 , , Capital Centre , , 12,731 , , 1–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 5 , , November 12, 1988 , , @

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, , L 111–132 , ,

The Omni Omni Coliseum (often called The Omni) was an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378 for basketball and 15,278 for hockey. It was part of the Omni Complex, now known as the CNN Center. It was ...

, , 16,155 , , 1–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 6 , , November 15, 1988 , ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, , L 99–106 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 21,748 , , 1–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 7 , , November 17, 1988 , , @

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, , L 93–105 , ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks. The venu ...

, , 16,512 , , 1–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 8 , , November 19, 1988 , , @

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, , W 107–105 , ,

HemisFair Arena HemisFair Arena (also known as the San Antonio Convention Center Arena) was an indoor arena located in San Antonio, Texas. It was home to the ABA/NBA's San Antonio Spurs from 1973 to 1993 and the San Antonio Force of the AFL during the 1992 seas ...

, , 10,863 , , 2–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 9 , , November 22, 1988 , ,

, , L 93–99 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 2–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 10 , , November 23, 1988 , , @

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, , L 109–114 , ,

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...

, , 14,890 , , 2–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 11 , , November 25, 1988 , , @

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, , L 116–123 , ,

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

, , 10,588 , , 2–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 12 , , November 26, 1988 , ,

, , L 113–120 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 2–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 13 , , November 29, 1988 , ,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

, , W 99–84 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 3–10 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 14 , , December 1, 1988 , ,

, , W 109–107 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 21,716 , , 4–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 15 , , December 3, 1988 , , @

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, , L 104–108 , , The Summit , , 16,611 , , 4–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 16 , , December 9, 1988 , ,

, , W 96–95 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 5–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 17 , , December 10, 1988 , , @

, , L 112–121 (OT) , ,

Brendan Byrne Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on N ...

, , , , 5–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 18 , , December 13, 1988 , , @

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, , L 104–115 , ,

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena was an indoor arena in Indianapolis. Completed in 1974, at a cost of $23 million, it seated 16,530 for basketball and 15,993 for ice hockey. Seating capacity for concerts and other events was adjusted by the use of large cu ...

, , , , 5–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 19 , , December 14, 1988 , ,

, , W 115–106 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 22,601 , , 6–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 20 , , December 16, 1988 , ,

, , L 98–107 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 6–14 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 21 , , December 17, 1988 , , @

, , L 91–100 , , The Palace of Auburn Hills , , 21,454 , , 6–15 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 22 , , December 20, 1988 , , @

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, , L 115–125 , ,

Bradley Center The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United ...

, , 15,075 , , 6–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 23 , , December 21, 1988 , ,

, , L 100–112 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,010 , , 6–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 24 , , December 23, 1988 , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , W 103–101 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 7–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 25 , , December 26, 1988 , ,

, , L 95–97 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 7–18 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 26 , , December 28, 1988 , , @

, , L 98–122 , ,

Richfield Coliseum Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,273 f ...

, , 17,353 , , 7–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 27 , , December 30, 1988 , ,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, , W 122–111 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 8–19 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 28 , , January 3, 1989 , ,

, , L 106–109 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 8–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 29 , , January 4, 1989 , , @

, , L 86–109 , , Capital Centre , , , , 8–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 30 , , January 6, 1989 , , @

, , L 92–115 , , Boston Garden , , 14,890 , , 8–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 31 , , January 7, 1989 , ,

, , W 107–104 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 9–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 32 , , January 9, 1989 , ,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, , L 92–114 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 9–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 33 , , January 11, 1989 , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , L 101–106 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 9–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 34 , , January 12, 1989 , , @

, , L 89–106 , ,

, , 16,943 , , 9–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 35 , , January 15, 1989 , ,

, , L 109–116 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 9–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 36 , , January 16, 1989 , , @

, , W 127–122 (OT) , , Spectrum , , 10,116 , , 10–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 37 , , January 18, 1989 , , @

, , L 106–118 , , Bradley Center , , 16,145 , , 10–27 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 38 , , January 19, 1989 , ,

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, , L 112–126 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 10–28 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 39 , , January 21, 1989 , , @

, , L 113–137 , , The Omni , , 16,371 , , 10–29 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 40 , , January 24, 1989 , , @

, , L 103–106 , ,

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1992, as well as indoor ...

, , 11,089 , , 10–30 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 41 , , January 26, 1989 , , @

, , W 89–88 , ,

Salt Palace The Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, more commonly known as the Salt Palace, is a convention center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Named after Utah's 11th governor, Calvin L. Rampton, the name "Salt Palace" was previously used by two ...

, , 12,444 , , 11–30 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 42 , , January 27, 1989 , , @

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, , L 97–114 , ,

Great Western Forum Kia Forum (formerly The Forum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located between West Manchester Boulevard, across Pincay Drive and Kareem Court, it is north of SoFi Stadium and t ...

, , 17,505 , , 11–31 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 43 , , January 30, 1989 , , @

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, , L 118–130 , , Memorial Coliseum , , 12,848 , , 11–32 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 44 , , February 1, 1989 , ,

, , L 94–107 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 11–33 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 45 , , February 3, 1989 , ,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, , W 108–106 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 12–33 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 46 , , February 5, 1989 , ,

, , L 91–110 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 12–34 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 47 , , February 7, 1989 , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , L 93–118 , ,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

, , 17,385 , , 12–35 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 48 , , February 9, 1989 , ,

, , W 110–108 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 13–35 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 49 , , February 14, 1989 , ,

, , L 117–129 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 13–36 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 50 , , February 17, 1989 , , @

, , L 102–103 , ,

Miami Arena Miami Arena was an indoor arena located in Miami, Florida. The venue served as the home of the NBA's Miami Heat, and the NHL's Florida Panthers. From 1988 until 1999, it also was the indoor arena for the Miami Hurricanes. History Completed in 1 ...

, , 15,008 , , 13–37 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 51 , , February 18, 1989 , ,

, , W 119–114 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 14–37 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 52 , , February 22, 1989 , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , L 102–130 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 14–38 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 53 , , February 23, 1989 , , @

, , L 114–139 , , Madison Square Garden , , 16,130 , , 14–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 54 , , February 25, 1989 , ,

, , W 124–113 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–39 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 55 , , February 28, 1989 , ,

, , L 87–112 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–40 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 56 , , March 2, 1989 , , @

, , L 103–114 , , Brendan Byrne Arena , , , , 15–41 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 57 , , March 3, 1989 , , @

, , L 109–133 , , The Omni , , 16,371 , , 15–42 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 58 , , March 5, 1989 , , @

, , L 101–114 , , Capital Centre , , 6,661 , , 15–43 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 59 , , March 8, 1989 , ,

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, , L 99–112 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–44 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 60 , , March 10, 1989 , ,

, , L 90–123 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–45 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 61 , , March 12, 1989 , ,

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, , L 105–114 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–46 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 62 , , March 14, 1989 , , @

, , L 102–125 , ,

McNichols Sports Arena McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games and 17,171 for basketball games. Sports use It was ...

, , 10,522 , , 15–47 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 63 , , March 16, 1989 , , @

, , L 88–108 , ,

Seattle Center Coliseum Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was or ...

, , , , 15–48 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 64 , , March 17, 1989 , , @

, , W 108–105 , ,

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park (Los Angeles), Exposition Park, in the University Park, Los Angeles, University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial ...

, , 10,758 , , 16–48 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 65 , , March 19, 1989 , , @ Golden State , , L 117–124 , ,

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena Oakland Arena is an indoor arena located in Oakland, California, United States. From its opening in 1966 until 1996, it was known as the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. After a major renovation completed in 1997, the arena was renamed T ...

, , 15,025 , , 16–49 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 66 , , March 20, 1989 , , @

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, , W 117–110 , , ARCO Arena , , 16,517 , , 17–49 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 67 , , March 23, 1989 , ,

, , L 97–102 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–50 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 68 , , March 25, 1989 , ,

, , L 101–113 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–51 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 69 , , March 27, 1989 , ,

, , L 105–121 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–52 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 70 , , March 30, 1989 , , Golden State , , L 104–113 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–53 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 71 , , April 1, 1989 , ,

, , L 121–125 (OT) , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–54 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 72 , , April 4, 1989 , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , L 101–121 , , Chicago Stadium , , 17,578 , , 17–55 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 73 , , April 7, 1989 , ,

, , L 108–118 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–56 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 74 , , April 9, 1989 , , @

, , L 116–122 , , Richfield Coliseum , , 19,276 , , 17–57 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 75 , , April 10, 1989 , ,

, , L 105–112 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 17–58 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 76 , , April 12, 1989 , , @

, , W 104–99 , , Madison Square Garden , , 18,385 , , 18–58 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 77 , , April 14, 1989 , , @

, , W 119–115 , , Spectrum , , 14,321 , , 19–58 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 78 , , April 15, 1989 , , @

, , L 105–115 , , Market Square Arena , , 11,860 , , 19–59 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 79 , , April 17, 1989 , ,

, , L 108–113 (OT) , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 19–60 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 80 , , April 18, 1989 , , @

, , W 121–105 , , Brendan Byrne Arena , , , , 20–60 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 81 , , April 21, 1989 , ,

, , L 110–117 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 20–61 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 82 , , April 23, 1989 , , @

, , L 110–120 , , Boston Garden , , 14,890 , , 20–62 , - , -
1988-89 Schedule

Player statistics

Awards and records

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

2nd Team

Transactions

* July 1, 1988 Released

Clinton Wheeler Clinton Wheeler (October 27, 1959 – February 14, 2019) was an American professional basketball player. He was a 6'1" (185 cm) 185 lb (84 kg) point guard and played collegiately at Division III's William Paterson University. In hi ...

. * July 18, 1988 Signed

as a free agent. Traded

Bernard Thompson Bernard Thompson (born August 30, 1962) is an American retired professional basketball player. At a height of 6'7" (2.007 m), he played as a small forward- shooting guard, from Phoenix, Arizona. Thompson played five seasons in the National Basket ...

to the Houston Rockets for Robert Reid and a 1990 2nd round draft pick (

Steve Scheffler Stephen Robert Scheffler (born September 3, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA. He is left-handed. College career Scheffler attended Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, where he p ...

was later selected). * July 28, 1988 Signed

as an unrestricted free agent. * August 17, 1988 Signed

Tim Kempton Timothy Joseph Kempton (born January 25, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball who played the power forward and center positions. Born in Jamaica, New York, he played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish before havin ...

as a free agent. * October 6, 1988 Signed

Brian Rowsom Brian Rowsom (born October 23, 1965) is an American basketball coach and former player, who was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 1987 NBA draft. A 6' 10" power forward from the University of North Ca ...

as a free agent. * October 17, 1988 Released

Sedric Toney Sedric Andre Toney (born April 13, 1962) is an American former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 59th overall pick (third round) of the 1985 NBA draft. Born in Columbus, Mississippi, he p ...

. * December 30, 1988 Waived

Tom Tolbert Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

. * February 22, 1989 Waived

Rickey Green Rickey Green (born August 18, 1954) is an American retired professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Green, a and point guard, led Chicago's Hirsch High School to the 1973 IHSA Class AA State cha ...

. * March 27, 1989 Signed

Sidney Lowe Sidney Rochell Lowe (born January 21, 1960) is an American former basketball player and coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lowe played college basketball and served ...

to the first of two 10-day contracts. * March 29, 1989 Signed

Greg Kite Gregory Fuller Kite (born August 5, 1961) is an American retired professional basketball player. Kite was a member of two NBA Championship teams with the Boston Celtics in 1984 and 1986. Kite played eleven NBA seasons. Early life Kite was the ...

to a contract for the rest of the season. Waived Ralph Lewis. Player Transactions Citation:

References

External links

Expansion Draft Details
{{DEFAULTSORT:1988-89 Charlotte Hornets season Charlotte Hornets seasons

Char Char may refer to: People *Char Fontane, American actress *Char Margolis, American spiritualist * René Char (1907–1988), French poet *The Char family of Colombia: ** Fuad Char, Colombian senator ** Alejandro Char Chaljub, mayor of Barranquilla ...

1988 in sports in North Carolina 1989 in sports in North Carolina