Hornet Henry: Top 10 FANtastic Moments of 2007-08
April 14, 2008
Greetings fellow postseason-ready Hornets fans! You probably already know by now that Tuesday’s ballgame against the Clippers is the Hornets’ FANtastic FANale, the final home contest of the regular season for our beloved teal and gold squad. That means it’s time to celebrate the greatest and loudest fans in the NBA!
I thought I’d commemorate this special occasion by taking a look back at some of my fondest memories from home games at the Hive. This has been the greatest NBA season of my lifetime, so if anything, it was a tall order for me to narrow it down to only 10.
Before I do that though, I wanted to fill you in on a pair of Fan Up New Orleans events that are taking place later this week.
10) Hornets crown the Kings on Opening Night.
It was the first official game for the Hornets in their full-time return to the Big Easy. The fellas didn’t disappoint, giving us an early glimpse of what would be in store for us by pummeling Sacramento.
9) The season’s second sellout.
The box score may have indicated that it was a ho-hum 13-point win over Memphis on Feb. 9, but I will always remember this as the evening when we turned a serious corner inside the Hive. Since this packed house, we’ve had 11 sellouts in 16 games. Take a bow, NOLA.
8) The 11-game home winning streak.
From Feb. 27 to April 6, the Hornets did not lose a game in the Arena. And it didn’t come against many pushovers, either. During this streak, we beat Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio, the Lakers, Houston, Boston and Golden State.
7) The unexpected 12-minute game delay vs. Atlanta.
After one of the nets was damaged during a fourth-quarter timeout, the arena crew was summoned to put up some new twine, necessitating a stoppage in play. I don’t know if I can fully explain the hilarity that ensued here, but suffice to say that at one point Atlanta’s Josh Childress tried to plant a sloppy smooch on Tyson Chandler during Kiss Cam. And these dozen minutes were so much fun that Childress’ attempted kiss may not have even made the top-three funniest moments of the hiatus.
6) Tyson Chandler soars from the foul line (or was it the three-point line?) to slam over the Suns.
Ty Lob had a boatload of dunks this season, backing up the nickname I bestowed upon him when he joined the team in 2006-07 (gosh darn it, I knew I should’ve gotten “Ty Lob” trademarked and copyrighted!). But the high-flying slam he had against Phoenix took the cake.
5) Peja for three from the corner vs. Utah.
On national TV, the Serbian Sensation put the Jazz away by burying yet another three-ball. I’ll let Hornet Henry Facebook buddy Jono take it from here. Here’s my main man’s description of the trey: “The arena exploded and a national audience on ESPN got to see how big the New Orleans homecourt advantage was becoming.”
4) Down go the Celtics!
Even though the Hornets were in first place in the West, some hoopheads still wondered if they could hang with the big boys of the NBA. After a come-from-behind victory over Boston, everyone knew New Orleans was for real.
3) “M-V-P! M-V-P!”
Hornets historians will note that the initial MVP chant in the Arena for CP3 happened on Jan. 28, late in a 24-point runaway against Denver. I’m fan enough to admit that I had goosebumps when I heard it for the first time.
2) Peja for three! Streak vs. Mavs… over.
Things looked bleak late in the Dec. 1 game vs. Dallas. The Mavericks appeared poised to add to their aggravating winning streak against the Hornets, leading by three points with only a few ticks left. That’s when the Serbian Sensation fired up a three-pointer from the left corner that nearly scraped the roof, before swishing softly through the net. After defeating the Mavs in overtime, the Hornets’ season would never be the same.
And Hornet Henry’s Number One crowd moment at the New Orleans Arena in 2007-08 is…
The booing of the Spurs.
If you were there on March 12, you already know what I’m talking about, but I’ve never heard jeering and booing sound so glorious. After some San Antonio-generated hijinks in the second half of a key Southwest Division tilt, Hornets fans proceeded to boo the Spurs every time they touched the ball – for the entire second half!
It was fierce. It was ear-splitting. It was beautiful.
Hornet Henry would like to step aside now, to let Hornets season ticket holder and prolific sign-maker Apple Lane do the honors of wrapping up this FANtastic FANale column, with her personal remembrance of March 12: “The crowd got loud after a hard foul by Bruce Bowen on Chris Paul,” she recalls. “The crowd didn’t stop booing until the game was over. If there was any doubt about New Orleans fans understanding this team and the NBA, it was erased with a roar that night.”
Greetings fellow postseason-ready Hornets fans! You probably already know by now that Tuesday’s ballgame against the Clippers is the Hornets’ FANtastic FANale, the final home contest of the regular season for our beloved teal and gold squad. That means it’s time to celebrate the greatest and loudest fans in the NBA!
I thought I’d commemorate this special occasion by taking a look back at some of my fondest memories from home games at the Hive. This has been the greatest NBA season of my lifetime, so if anything, it was a tall order for me to narrow it down to only 10.
Before I do that though, I wanted to fill you in on a pair of Fan Up New Orleans events that are taking place later this week.
- On Thursday, our favorite ballclub is hosting a pep rally from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in downtown New Orleans. It will take place on Fulton Street, between Harrah’s and Gordon Biersch. Join Hornets players, the Honeybees, Hugo the Hornet, the Used to Bees, the Adidas Krewe and the Hornets Drum Line in tipping off the 2008 playoffs in style. There will be live music from Top Cats, along with special appearances by the Bookmobile, caricature artists, face-painters… who knows, maybe even Hornet Henry.
- On Friday, the Hornets are encouraging everyone to wear teal clothing and/or Hornets apparel to work or school, to get even more fired up for the playoffs. If your boss or teacher has a problem with you sporting a Hilton Armstrong jersey in your office or classroom, tell them Hornet Henry said it was OK. If you need a signed permission slip, I’d be glad to provide that as well. You know I’ve got your back, Hornets fans!
10) Hornets crown the Kings on Opening Night.
It was the first official game for the Hornets in their full-time return to the Big Easy. The fellas didn’t disappoint, giving us an early glimpse of what would be in store for us by pummeling Sacramento.
9) The season’s second sellout.
The box score may have indicated that it was a ho-hum 13-point win over Memphis on Feb. 9, but I will always remember this as the evening when we turned a serious corner inside the Hive. Since this packed house, we’ve had 11 sellouts in 16 games. Take a bow, NOLA.
8) The 11-game home winning streak.
From Feb. 27 to April 6, the Hornets did not lose a game in the Arena. And it didn’t come against many pushovers, either. During this streak, we beat Phoenix, Utah, San Antonio, the Lakers, Houston, Boston and Golden State.
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After one of the nets was damaged during a fourth-quarter timeout, the arena crew was summoned to put up some new twine, necessitating a stoppage in play. I don’t know if I can fully explain the hilarity that ensued here, but suffice to say that at one point Atlanta’s Josh Childress tried to plant a sloppy smooch on Tyson Chandler during Kiss Cam. And these dozen minutes were so much fun that Childress’ attempted kiss may not have even made the top-three funniest moments of the hiatus.
6) Tyson Chandler soars from the foul line (or was it the three-point line?) to slam over the Suns.
Ty Lob had a boatload of dunks this season, backing up the nickname I bestowed upon him when he joined the team in 2006-07 (gosh darn it, I knew I should’ve gotten “Ty Lob” trademarked and copyrighted!). But the high-flying slam he had against Phoenix took the cake.
5) Peja for three from the corner vs. Utah.
On national TV, the Serbian Sensation put the Jazz away by burying yet another three-ball. I’ll let Hornet Henry Facebook buddy Jono take it from here. Here’s my main man’s description of the trey: “The arena exploded and a national audience on ESPN got to see how big the New Orleans homecourt advantage was becoming.”
4) Down go the Celtics!
Even though the Hornets were in first place in the West, some hoopheads still wondered if they could hang with the big boys of the NBA. After a come-from-behind victory over Boston, everyone knew New Orleans was for real.
3) “M-V-P! M-V-P!”
Hornets historians will note that the initial MVP chant in the Arena for CP3 happened on Jan. 28, late in a 24-point runaway against Denver. I’m fan enough to admit that I had goosebumps when I heard it for the first time.
|
Things looked bleak late in the Dec. 1 game vs. Dallas. The Mavericks appeared poised to add to their aggravating winning streak against the Hornets, leading by three points with only a few ticks left. That’s when the Serbian Sensation fired up a three-pointer from the left corner that nearly scraped the roof, before swishing softly through the net. After defeating the Mavs in overtime, the Hornets’ season would never be the same.
And Hornet Henry’s Number One crowd moment at the New Orleans Arena in 2007-08 is…
The booing of the Spurs.
If you were there on March 12, you already know what I’m talking about, but I’ve never heard jeering and booing sound so glorious. After some San Antonio-generated hijinks in the second half of a key Southwest Division tilt, Hornets fans proceeded to boo the Spurs every time they touched the ball – for the entire second half!
It was fierce. It was ear-splitting. It was beautiful.
Hornet Henry would like to step aside now, to let Hornets season ticket holder and prolific sign-maker Apple Lane do the honors of wrapping up this FANtastic FANale column, with her personal remembrance of March 12: “The crowd got loud after a hard foul by Bruce Bowen on Chris Paul,” she recalls. “The crowd didn’t stop booing until the game was over. If there was any doubt about New Orleans fans understanding this team and the NBA, it was erased with a roar that night.”
