Tag: Charlotte Hornets

Kemba Walker speaks on wanting to support Cam Newton at Pats games

Kemba Walker has a familiar face in Beantown with him in 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton.

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker now has a former Charlotte sports star in New England with him.

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is the newest big time athlete to come to the area, as he signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. 

Walker, who played his first eight NBA seasons in Charlotte, spoke to reporters Wednesday about wanting to support Newton in the upcoming football season, presuming it goes on as scheduled amid the threat of COVID-19. Walker is currently the Charlotte Hornets’ all-time leading scorer, pouring in 12,009 points with the franchise.

“New beginnings, obviously, and I know the fans out here, they’re going to love him a lot,” Walker said, per Nicole Yang of Boston.com. “I’m looking forward to, you know, hopefully when the world opens back up, getting out there to a game and supporting. It’s exciting news.”

Newton played his first nine NFL seasons with the Panthers, but injuries have surrounded his career and particularly hampered his play last season. He played two games, as he had a lingering foot injury that placed him on injured reserve during November 2019, per Patrik Walker of CBS.

According to ESPN’s David Newton, he had foot surgery in December. The Panthers released Cam Newton in March, per David Newton. 

As the 2015 NFL MVP, Newton has a chance to reboot his career in New England and perhaps return to the Super Bowl. He and the Panthers lost Super Bowl 50 in 2016 against the Denver Broncos.

With Walker leading the Celtics, New England remains in good hands with its athletes. The Celtics are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference, and their first seeding game in Orlando will be against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 31.

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On this day: Reggie Lewis, Jayson Tatum, Semi Ojeleye drafted

On this day, the Boston Celtics drafted Reggie Lewis, Jayson Tatum, Semi Ojeleye and Brad Lohaus, and lost Brandon Hunter to the Charlotte Hornets.

On this day, the Boston Celtics selected four players of note in the 2017 NBA Draft, held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City.

While the Celtics had held the top overall pick in the draft, team president Danny Ainge would use it to trade back for the third overall pick, correctly gambling he could still get his targeted prospect, Jayson Tatum.

Tatum, a 6-foot-8 small forward out of Duke, was drafted third overall after Ainge completed the deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, who used the top overall pick on point guard Markelle Fultz out of Washington, the Los Angeles Lakers using the second overall pick on point guard Lonzo Ball.

Vindicating Ainge, Tatum has gone on to make his first All-Star game in just his third season in the NBA, in which he averaged 17.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

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A look back on the careers of Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson

Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson paved the way for their sons Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, respectively.

As two of the best shooters ever, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have molded Hall of Fame worthy careers.

But as top-level hoopers, Curry and Thompson had to learn how to ball somewhere.

They both had two NBA fathers to look up to in Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson, respectively. The two dads made solid careers for themselves, with the elder Curry playing most of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. The elder Thompson, whose prime was in the 1980s, played most of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.

In celebrating Father’s Day, here is a look back at the careers of Dell Curry and Mychal Thompson.

Dell Curry

The elite jumper is a basketball gene prevalent in the Curry family.

The elder Curry made his career on consistently making jumpers from deep, and his start came with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz drafted Curry at No. 15 overall in the 1986 NBA draft. During his sophomore season, he played with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and by the time his fourth season rolled around, his impact started to be felt.

Curry’s fourth season was the 1989-90 campaign. The season was his second with the Hornets, and he scored 16.0 points per game and shot 35.4% from the 3-point line.

One of Curry’s top performances came during the Hornets’ first game of the 1996-97 season. Charlotte was playing the Toronto Raptors, and Curry led them to a win with a career-high 38 points and six 3-pointers.

As one of the Hornets’ best players ever, Curry had one of his best seasons during the 1993-94 season.

He scored a career-best 16.3 points per game, grabbed 3.2 rebounds a game and shot 40.2% from the 3-point line. Curry was third in scoring on the Hornets that season, right behind Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson. 

Curry ended his career playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors, retiring in 2002. He shot 40.2% from the 3-point line for his career.

Before Kemba Walker came along and surpassed him, Curry was the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer. He currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time leading scorers list. He also ranks second in the franchise for 3-point field goals, according to Basketball Reference. 

Mychal Thompson

The elder Thompson knew how to work his way around the low and high post.

Thompson was drafted No. 1 overall by the Trail Blazers in the 1978 NBA draft. A big man out of Minnesota, Thompson had a stellar rookie season during the 1978-79 campaign.

According to NBA.com stats, Thompson ranked fourth among rookies in points per game (14.7) and first in rebounds per game (8.3).

Thompson excelled at finding open spaces in the paint for buckets, and he was a solid passer as well. He averaged 2.3 assists per game for his career, and he tallied a career-high 4.8 assists a game during the 1982-83 season. During his career, he scored 13.7 points per game and grabbed 7.4 rebounds a game.

One of the best games of his career came when he showcased his versatile game.

He scored 24 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished 11 assists as he led the Trail Blazers to a win over the Denver Nuggets in January 1984. The performance marked one of Thompson’s two career triple-doubles, per Stat Muse. 

During the 1986-87 season, Thompson was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the league’s titans in the 1980s.

Thompson helped the Lakers win back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988. He was a key part of the team’s rebounding in the 1988 title season.

That season, Thompson ranked third on the team in rebounds per game behind A.C. Green and Magic Johnson, and he ranked fifth in scoring. After winning those two titles, Thompson played three more seasons with Los Angeles and retired in 1991.

He is still high in the Trail Blazers’ record books, as he is No. 9 on the franchise’s all-time leading scorers list and No. 4 in total rebounds, per Basketball Reference. 

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WATCH: the best of Kemba Walker’s step-back jumpers

The step-back jumper has been a crucial part of All-Star point guard Kemba Walker’s arsenal from UConn to the Boston Celtics.

There may still be fans of the Boston Celtics who are still, somehow, unfamiliar with the trademark shot of Celtics starting point guard Kemba Walker.

But, given the UConn product’s deep roots in the northeast, there’s probably not too many of you.

Step-back jumpers are the bread and butter of “Cardiac” Kemba, who earned that sobriquet giving opponents and fans alike heart palpitations with his late-clock shots that leave opposing teams in disarray.

From the start of his epic run to an NCAA title with the Huskies in 2011 right up to the present, there’s a wealth of such shots peppering the Bronx native’s career.

Most came with the Charlotte Hornets at the pro level, his sole NBA franchise until changing teams this summer.

So watch the video embedded above to see all of the best of Kemba Walker’s step-back wizardry; the most recent Celtic is just starting to get in some with his new club, but there’s plenty to see here just the same.

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An early preview of the Hornets 2020-21 offseason

After the departure of Kemba Walker, the Charlotte Hornets were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, by the season’s suspension, they finished with the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets are in the …

After the departure of Kemba Walker, the Charlotte Hornets were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, by the season’s suspension, they finished with the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets are in the middle of a rebuild that saw many pleasant surprise performances. With a healthy cap sheet going forward, Charlotte must stay on the path of patience and focus on developing their young players.

HORNETS 2020-21 PAYROLL

Hornets current 2021-22 cap sheet. The salary cap, luxury tax, and rookie-scale amount are all subject to change if the $115 million salary cap projection decreases.
Hornets current 2021-22 cap sheet. The salary cap, luxury tax, and rookie-scale amount are all subject to change if the $115 million salary cap projection decreases.

The Hornets are entering the 2020-21 offseason with just $81 million dedicated to 10 players, assuming Nicolas Batum opts in. They are projected to have just under $28 million in cap space under the $115 million salary cap projection. That is slightly below the 25 percent maximum starting salary for players with 0-6 years of service ($28.75 million).

Rookies Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels are non-guaranteed for $1.5 million each, but there is no urgency to cut either since they already have a lot of cap space. Out of all their free agents, Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez are the only realistic candidates to be re-signed. That is because the Hornets have their full Bird rights and both players have very low cap holds. Keeping their cap holds on the books would deduct $3.7 million in cap space, but that is a small deduction for being able to re-sign them after utilizing their cap space or sign-and-trade them.

CAP SPACE

The Hornets have significant cap space for the first time since 2016. That season was also the last time they made the playoffs. Despite a first-round exit, the Hornets rewarded all their key contributors from that season with big long-term deals. The list includes Batum, Marvin Williams, and Cody Zeller. Until Walker left, the Hornets were in a limbo state trying their best to win so they can keep him but were never good enough and had little flexibility to improve the roster.

With close to maximum cap space, the Hornets have plenty of room to pursue several starting-level players. The Hornets were 25th in the league in defensive rating and 28th in defensive rebounds by the time the season got suspended. Even if they draft a center with their lottery pick, they should prioritize some of their cap space on a rim-protecting, great rebounding center. Such free agents who fit that need include Hassan Whiteside, Derrick Favors, and Andre Drummond if he declines his player option.

DEVONTE‘ GRAHAM EXTENSION

Feb 12, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham (4) dribbles in the second quarter against Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Sophomore point guard Devonte’ Graham had a breakout performance that truly no one saw coming. After only appearing in 46 games last season behind Walker, Graham started most of 2019-20 and averaged 18.2 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.5 threes per game. Although he cooled off towards the second half of the year, his performance early on gave him All-Star consideration and he should be a finalist for Most Improved Player. The Hornets have their point guard for the foreseeable future.

Graham will be eligible for a veteran extension on July 6, which will be the two-year anniversary date of signing his original contract. He can extend for an additional four years on his current deal. Because he earns less than the average salary, Graham’s starting salary can be a maximum of 120 percent of the estimated average salary for 2020-21. The estimated average salary for 2019-20 is $9,560,000, so currently, next year’s average salary can be estimated at $10,038,000, which is 105 percent of $9.56 million. That would give him a starting salary of $12,045,600 for 2021-22 and would total $53.9 million through 2023-24. Expect the Hornets to offer Graham the maximum amount they can offer him, but he will get bigger offers if he enters free agency in 2021.

MALIK MONK’S FUTURE

Feb 1, 2020; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Malik Monk (1) drives past San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan (10) in the second half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Third-year guard Malik Monk was finally turning a corner this season. Through his first three seasons, Monk has been inconsistent and in and out of the rotation. Once thought a steal when he fell to 13th in the 2017 draft, Monk has been disappointing and found himself in trade rumors. In February, Monk found his groove as he averaged 16.7 points per game in 28.6 minutes per game off the bench. He finally became the scorer he was originally pegged as.

Monk will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension before the start of the 2020-21 regular season. His breakthrough may have moved him from a below mid-level contract to one in the $8-12 million range.

DRAFT

The Hornets’ 23-42 record would give them the eighth-worst record in the league. Assuming there is a draft lottery, they’re likely to get the eighth-overall selection with a chance of them jumping into the Top 4 and an even smaller chance of falling somewhere between 9-12. The Hornets also have the 32nd overall pick from the Cavaliers and the 56th overall pick from the Celtics.

Former Michigan State star Miles Bridges on racism in America: “Enough is enough.”

Former Michigan State star and current Charlotte Hornet Miles Bridges spoke out against racism in the United States on Thursday.

In my opinion, part of what makes Michigan State a special place is the leaders it both attracts and develops. Since the passing of George Floyd a few weeks ago, we have seen protests in practically every city in the country, and multiple around the world, rally together in the streets to demand justice and racial equality and the end of police brutality in America. Michigan State has had a multitude of Spartans speak out on the issues in our country, and the latest to do so was former MSU Basketball star Miles Bridges, who is now playing on the Charlotte Hornets.

Bridges’ message was simple: “Enough is enough.”

You can read his full message below:

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Michael Jordan speaks out against racial injustice: ‘It sucks your soul’

Michael Jordan discusses racism in America after $100 million pledge.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is using his unique platform to help eradicate injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The Jordan Brand has announced its intention to donate $100 million over the next 10 years to help promote racial equality and social justice.

During an exclusive interview with The Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell, Jordan spoke about how he feels amid the international protests against racial injustice, police brutality and systemic racism. He was asked why he made the donation.

“We have been beaten down (as African-Americans) for so many years. It sucks your soul. You can’t accept it anymore. This is a tipping point. We need to make a stand. We’ve got to be better as a society regarding race,” Jordan told Rick Bonnell.

Jordan issued a challenge to people to stop racist behavior.

“Face up to your demons. Extend a hand. Understand the inequalities,” Jordan said.

Here’s a look at the Jordan Brand statement, which came with the financial commitment of $100 million.

Jordan’s words and donations are powerful gestures.

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Woj: NBA Board of Governors to vote on restart plan Thursday

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on a plan for the restart of the league.

The National Basketball Association is getting closer to finalizing a plan that will involve 22 teams going to Orlando, Florida, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. A vote to pass the format for the NBA’s restart is expected at Thursday’s Board of Governors conference call, according to Woj, while Game 7 of the NBA Finals is expected to be scheduled for October 12.

With 22 teams being invited to Orlando, that would be the teams that are currently in the 16-team playoff picture, as well as the five teams on the playoff bubble in the Western Conference (Portland, New Orleans, Sacramento, San Antonio, Phoenix) and the Washington Wizards out of the Eastern Conference.

According to other reports about what the league’s executives have voted on, a couple of regular season games followed by some kind of play-in tournament for the final playoff seeds is the expected outcome, rather than a potentially even more exciting group stage scenario.

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The Celtics had the largest representation on ESPN’s Top 74 list

Like any and all lists ranking players, ESPN’s Top 74 released earlier this month drew a lot of criticism. Though we can argue all day long about the order, there’s no question that the players who made the list belong among the best of all-time. …

Like any and all lists ranking players, ESPN’s Top 74 released earlier this month drew a lot of criticism. Though we can argue all day long about the order, there’s no question that the players who made the list belong among the best of all-time.

With those names in hand, we decided to look up how many played for each franchise and for how long.

Unsurprisingly, the storied Boston Celtics finished on top in both categories – even though they have only one player in the Top 6 compared to the Lakers’ four presences.

You can find the full list below…

1. CELTICS

17 players combining for 9,080 games played with the team

Players: John Havlicek, Robert Parish, Paul Pierce, Kevin McHale, Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Bill Walton, Dominique Wilkins, Gary Payton, Artis Gilmore, Shaquille O’Neal, Pete Maravich and Bob McAdoo.

2. LAKERS

17 players combining for 8,376 games played with the team

Players: Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, George Mikan, Pau Gasol, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob McAdoo, LeBron James, Gary Payton, Steve Nash, Anthony Davis, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman.

3. ROCKETS

12 players combining for 4,162 games played with the team

Players: Hakeem Olajuwon, James Harden, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Tracy McGrady, Dikembe Mutombo, Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Scottie Pippen.

4. SPURS

11 players combining for 6,506 games played with the team

Players: Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson, George Gervin, Kawhi Leonard, Artis Gilmore, Pau Gasol, Dennis Rodman, Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone.

5. BUCKS

Ten players combining for 2,355 games played with the team

Players: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ray Allen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bob Lanier, Alex English, Moses Malone, Dave Cowens, Gary Payton and Pau Gasol.

6. KNICKS

Nine players combining for 3,588 games played with the team

Players: Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Bernard King, Bob McAdoo, Jason Kidd, Dikembe Mutombo and Tracy McGrady.

7. BULLS

Eight players combining for 2,802 games played with the team

Players: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Artis Gilmore, Dennis Rodman, Pau Gasol, George Gervin, Dwyane Wade and Robert Parish.

8. NETS

Eight players combining for 1,308 games played with the team

Players: Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Bernard King, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Bob McAdoo.

9. THUNDER

Seven players combining for 3,119 games played with the team

Players: Gary Payton, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Ray Allen, James Harden, Patrick Ewing and Chris Paul.

10. SIXERS

Seven players combining for 2,937 games played with the team

Players: Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Dikembe Mutombo and Bob McAdoo.

11. HAWKS

Seven players combining for 2,751 games played with the team

Players: Dominique Wilkins, Bob Pettit, Dikembe Mutombo, Pete Maravich, Moses Malone, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady

12. WIZARDS

Seven players combining for 2,706 games played with the team

Players: Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Earl Monroe, Bernard King, Moses Malone, Michael Jordan, and Paul Pierce.

13. CLIPPERS

Seven players combining for 1,083 games played with the team

Players: Chris Paul, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, Paul Pierce, Kawhi Leonard, Dominique Wilkins and Moses Malone.

14. MAVERICKS

Six players combining for 2,744 games played with the team

Players: Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Vince Carter, Alex English and Dennis Rodman.

15. WARRIORS

Six players combining for 2,445 games played with the team

Players: Stephen Curry, Rick Barry, Wilt Chamberlain, Robert Parish, Kevin Durant and Bernard King.

16. PISTONS

Six players combining for 2,399 games played with the team

Players: Isiah Thomas, Bob Lanier, Dennis Rodman, Tracy McGrady, Bob McAdoo and Allen Iverson.

17. HEAT

Six players combining for 2,341 games played with the team

Players: Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Ray Allen and Gary Payton.

18. SUNS

Five players combining for 1,487 games played with the team

Players: Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Vince Carter.

19. MAGIC

Five players combining for 779 games played with the team

Players: Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Patrick Ewing and Dominique Wilkins.

20. JAZZ

Four players combining for 3,287 games played with the team

Players: John Stockton, Karl Malone, Pete Maravich and Bernard King.

21. TRAIL BLAZERS

Four players combining for 1,955 games played with the team.

Players: Clyde Drexler, Damian Lillard, Scottie Pippen and Bill Walton.

22. CAVALIERS

Four players combining for 1,014 games played with the team.

Players: LeBron James, Walt Frazier, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade.

23. RAPTORS

Four players combining for 716 games played with the team.

Players: Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kawhi Leonard.

24. NUGGETS

Three players combining for 1,363 games played with the team.

Players: Alex English, Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson.

25. KINGS

Three players combining for 817 games played with the team.

Players: Oscar Robertson, Vince Carter and Bob Cousy.

26. GRIZZLIES

Three players combining for 678 games played with the team.

Players: Pau Gasol, Vince Carter and Allen Iverson.

27. HORNETS

Three players combining for 426 games played with the team.

Players: Alonzo Mourning, Robert Parish and Tony Parker.

28. PACERS

Two players combining for 1,524 games played with the team.

Players: Reggie Miller and Alex English.

29. PELICANS

Two players combining for 891 games played with the team.

Players: Anthony Davis and Chris Paul.

30. TIMBERWOLVES

One player combining for 970 games played with the team.

Player: Kevin Garnett.

Kemba Walker shares the advice from Michael Jordan that changed him

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker shared some of Michael Jordan’s advice to him from his time with the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has a special connection with his former boss Michael Jordan, and the ubiquity of the ESPN documentary series on Jordan’s Chicago Bulls sparked some reflection by the UConn product in a short interview conducted for the team.

Drafted out of Connecticut immediately after dragging his Huskies to their third NCAA National Championship, Walker joined the Charlotte Hornets organization as their highest draft pick in the still-new Jordan era of ownership.

Don’t think that reputation he’d earned in his days at UConn made him  immune to the sort of pressure His Airness put on his teammates in “The Last Dance,” though.

Jordan’s early advice to the Bronx native was cut from the same cloth, if anything.

“MJ, the advice he always gave me was [that you] just had to bring it every night, man,” related Walker. “He always told me, ‘Don’t get comfortable.’ That’s his thing — ‘don’t get comfortable, don’t get comfortable,’ and I always heard it, too. ‘I ain’t getting comfortable; I’m keeping this job forever.'”

“Every time he’d tell me that, that was just my mentality. I’m not getting comfortable. I know who my boss is! You know? I’m not about to let you down,” he added. “He’s been very influential in my basketball career.”

Walker and Jordan may be on separate paths now, but the former Charlotte guard still looks back on his time with MJ fondly.

And while their leadership styles couldn’t be more night and day with the former Husky choosing to lead quietly by example, the same killer instinct and insatiable desire to compete is exuded by the Celtic point guard.

And Walker’s fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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