The New Orleans Hornets’ recently-completed 2007-08 season was chalk full of countless first-time accomplishments, including a franchise-record 56 regular-season wins, along with the initial division title in team history. For Hornets fans, this was also a banner year.

New Orleans’ unprecedented support for the team led to a total of 20 sellouts, the most since the club arrived in Louisiana for the 2002-03 NBA season. Hornets fans also packed the New Orleans Arena to capacity in each of the final 13 home games, surpassing the previous record for consecutive sellouts in the Big Easy.

On Friday, May 23, the Hornets organization publicly thanked the New Orleans region for making the past season the most successful and memorable in the 20-year history of the franchise. Over 100 Hornets employees were split into groups that appeared at five different locations during the lunch hour on Friday, including downtown New Orleans, the Westbank, Metairie, Mandeville on the Northshore, and Harahan.

The 100-plus staff members wore “Thank You Fans” T-shirts and carried “Thank You NOLA” signs, visiting heavy-traffic areas in each location.

“This has been the most spectacular year in the history of the franchise,” Hornets Owner George Shinn said. “It all came about because fans stepped up and helped us. We are very appreciative and know we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.”