The

1988–89 NBA season The 1988–89 NBA season was the 43rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. This was the first season of the Miami Heat and Charlo ...

was the first season for the

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 Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

in the

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

. 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 Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

, began play as expansion teams during the 1988–89 season; the team was originally going to be named the "Spirit", but later on changed it to the "Hornets". The team revealed a new primary logo of a hornet bouncing a basketball, and got new pinstripe uniforms, adding teal and purple to their color scheme. In the 1988 NBA expansion draft, the Hornets selected veteran players like

Dell Curry Wardell Stephen Curry Sr. (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 (9,8 ...

, second-year guard

Muggsy Bogues Tyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues (born January 9, 1965) is an American former 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 care ...

, Mike Holton, Dave Hoppen,

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 ch ...

, 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 Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

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, 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 Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

, Earl Cureton, 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 of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...

. 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 shooting guard

Rex Chapman Rex Everett Chapman (born October 5, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player and social media influencer, mostly known for his time with the Charlotte Hornets from 1988 to 1992 and for his time with the Phoenix Suns from 1996 ...

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, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

. Dick Harter was hired to be the team's first ever head coach. The Hornets played their first NBA 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 Charlotte ...

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 Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...

. The team struggled losing 10 of their first 12 games of the regular season, 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, finishing their inaugural season in last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 20 wins and 62 losses. The Hornets led the NBA in home-game attendance, becoming the first expansion team to do so, with an attendance of 949,858 at the Charlotte Coliseum; it was also an all-time NBA attendance record, which was broken by one of the two next season's expansion teams, the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...

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 named 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 sports franchising, franchises. This occurs mainly in Sports in North America, North American sports and closed leagues. O ...

in 1988. In a

coin flip Coin flipping, coin tossing, or heads or tails is using the thumb to make a coin go up while spinning in the air and checking which side is showing when it is down onto a surface, in order to randomly choose between two alternatives. It is a for ...

, 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 Kurt Rambis of the

and Earl Cureton of the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially 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 Atlan ...

NBA draft

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

. 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 Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, 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 S ...

loss to the

New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

."Charlotte Buzzing Over the Hornets"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

.''

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, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

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 Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

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

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

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 is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, , L 93–133 , ,

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

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, , L 85–94 , ,

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...

, , 21,454 , , 0–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 3 , , November 8, 1988 , , L.A. Clippers , , W 117–105 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 18,865 , , 1–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 4 , , November 11, 1988 , , @

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

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

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, , L 111–132 , , The Omni , , 16,155 , , 1–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 6 , , November 15, 1988 , ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

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

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, , L 93–105 , ,

Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion, Dallas, Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Ass ...

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

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, , 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 sea ...

, , 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 is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, , 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" (later ...

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

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, , L 116–123 , ,

Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...

, , 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 is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, , 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 List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, , 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 sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

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

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, , L 104–115 , ,

Market Square Arena Market Square Arena (MSA) 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 larg ...

, , , , 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 is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, , 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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, , 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 20,27 ...

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

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

, , 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 landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

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

, , 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 , , 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 , , @ Phoenix , , L 103–106 , ,

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, also called the Madhouse Coliseum or Phoenix Memorial Coliseum, is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Su ...

, , 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 moniker "Salt Palace" was previously used by ...

, , 12,444 , , 11–30 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 42 , , January 27, 1989 , , @ L.A. Lakers , , L 97–114 , ,

Great Western Forum The Kia Forum, also known as Los Angeles Forum and formerly Great Western Forum, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, United States, adjacent to Los Angeles. Located on West Manchester Boulevard, with Laffit Pincay Jr., P ...

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

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

, , 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 the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, , 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 , , @

, , L 93–118 , ,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago from 1929 to 1995. When it was built, it was the largest indoor arena in the world with a maximum seating capacity of 26,000. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and ...

, , 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 Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1988 until 1999, it also ...

, , 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 , ,

, , 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 List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, , L 99–112 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–44 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 60 , , March 10, 1989 , , L.A. Lakers , , L 90–123 , , Charlotte Coliseum , , 23,388 , , 15–45 , - align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" , 61 , , March 12, 1989 , ,

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, , 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, United States. 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. Sp ...

, , 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 the Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ...

, , , , 15–48 , - align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" , 64 , , March 17, 1989 , , @ L.A. Clippers , , W 108–105 , ,

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...

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

Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena Oakland Arena, often referred to as the Oakland Coliseum Arena, is an indoor arena in Oakland, California, and part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Authority. Opened in 1966, the arena was originally home to the California Seals of the ...

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

, , W 117–110 , ,

ARCO Arena ARCO Arena (known as Power Balance Pavilion from 2011 to 2012 and Sleep Train Arena from 2012 until 2022) was an indoor arena located in Sacramento, California, United States. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Sacramento Kings of the Nation ...

, , 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 , , @

, , 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

Ragular season

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 play ...

2nd Team

Transactions

* July 1, 1988 Released Clinton Wheeler. * July 18, 1988 Signed Earl Cureton as a free agent. Traded Bernard Thompson to the Houston Rockets for Robert Reid and a 1990 2nd round draft pick ( Steve Scheffler was later selected). * July 28, 1988 Signed Kurt Rambis as an unrestricted free agent. * August 17, 1988 Signed Tim Kempton as a free agent. * October 6, 1988 Signed Brian Rowsom as a free agent. * October 17, 1988 Released Sedric Toney. * December 30, 1988 Waived

Tom Tolbert Thomas Byron Tolbert Jr. (born October 16, 1965) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional basketball player. He played a total of seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After retiring from basketball, Tolbert ...

. * February 22, 1989 Waived

. * March 27, 1989 Signed

Sidney Lowe Sidney Rochell Lowe (born January 21, 1960) is an American former basketball player and current assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lowe played college basketball and served as the head coach at ...

to the first of two 10-day contracts. * March 29, 1989 Signed Greg Kite 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 1988 in sports in North Carolina 1989 in sports in North Carolina 1980s in Charlotte, North Carolina