HORNETS: In The Lane Awards

In The Lane Awards

Bob Licht

With the end of the Hornets regular season comes the time to hand out the awards, answering questions like: "Who was the Most Valuable Player?" "Who was the Sixth Man of the Year?" "Who was the Player of the Year?" Hornets radio play-by-play broadcaster Bob Licht takes those questions into account and answers many others as he takes us "In the Lane" to hand out his own New Orleans Hornets season ending awards. This is a preview of the full list which will be on Hornets.com and in the new issue of THE BUZZ magazine next week.

MVP

Jamal Mashburn

Clearly, Jamal Mashburn is the team’s most valuable player this season. It’s not just his team-leading 20-plus points per game and 5.6 assists per game, but his leadership when Baron Davis went out for six weeks with back and knee problems. He almost single handedly kept the Hornets in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

His consecutive game-winning shots against Memphis and Detroit in February came at a critical time, with Baron out, and triggered a season-high eight game-winning streak.

His 50-point effort in an overtime victory against Memphis on February 21st not only tied a personal career high, but also established a new Hornets single game franchise record.

The 30-year-old forward was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in February when he averaged 25.1 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, 6.4 assists per game.

The six-foot, eight-inch Mashburn was named to the NBA All-Star team for the first time in his 10-year career.

He is one of only two players (McGrady is the other) in the Eastern Conference to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game.

MOST IMPROVED

Jamaal Magloire

“Big Cat” entered the season with a total of eight NBA starts under his belt. After Elden Campbell’s knee injury, he was forced into the lineup full time. He grabbed the job, held it, and allowed the Hornets to make the difficult decision to trade Campbell for Kenny Anderson through consistent play on both ends of the floor.

The third year pro led the Bees in blocks. He also had (21) points/rebounds double doubles heading into the final week of the season. For the second consecutive season he did not miss a game.

RESERVE OF THE YEAR

Robert Traylor

Like a fine wine, "Tractor" kept improving as the season progressed. In particular, once Elden Campbell was traded to Seattle, the 6-8 280-pounder came into his own and played the best basketball of his five-year career. He played the second-most games as a pro, secured the second-most offensive rebounds and total rebounds of his career. His best game came on March 1st in Phoenix where he recorded his second double double of the season, including a career-high 12 rebounds. Exactly one month earlier, he was an amazing 11-of-12 from the free throw line at Washington.

MOST SUPERSTITIOUS

PJ Brown

While the Hornets were in the throes of their worst losing streak of the season, Brown and his wife Dee got away from the dog days of the NBA season by attending a movie together. At the theater, PJ picked up a penny, placed it in his pocket and claimed it couldn’t hurt. The Hornets went on to win their next four games.

BEST DRESSED

Robert Traylor

Tongue-in-cheek award as “Tractor” consistently showed off the latest retro jersey top during Hornets road trips.

Among my favorites: #6 Tigers (Al Kline), #17 Eagles (Harold Carmichael), #20 Lions (Barry Sanders). I admit a bias, as both Traylor and I are Michigan natives.

I should also add that several other players (including Mashburn and Davis) picked up on the road trip theme and followed suit. But, it was Traylor who started the trend.

QUOTE OF THE SEASON

David Wesley -- responding to the news that the Hornets will be relocating to the Western Conference no later than the 2004-2005 NBA season

"I was joking with "Big Cat" (Jamaal Magloire) that he has to gain 30 pounds to guard Shaq and I was talking to "Tractor" (Robert Traylor) that he has to lose about 40 pounds to run behind all of the small forwards that run and shoot and don't necessarily bang in the paint. We joked about it, but there are some serious teams out there that we'll have to contend with every night."

(Check back with Hornets.com and pick up the latest issue of THE BUZZ magazine next week for Licht's full list of "In the Lane" Award winners)

E-MAIL PLAYERS AND COACHES
You can email players, coaches and broadcasters questions about the Hornets first season in New Orleans at: radiobuzz@hornets.com . We’ll use the best questions in this column and on the radio network pre-game show during some segments of Hornets Courtside.

BOB LICHT BIO

Bob Licht, the radio voice of the New Orleans Hornets, offers his insights on the Hornets and the NBA in a regular column on Hornets.com.

Along with his play-by-play duties for the Hornets, Licht served as the radio voice of the WNBA Charlotte Sting for five seasons. Last year, he also filled in on five Fox Sports telecasts of Hornets basketball and co-hosted, along with Steve Martin, Hornets and Sting Update, a monthly TV magazine show.

In 1996 and 1997, he was the radio voice of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League. From 1990-95, Licht was the director of broadcasting of the Double-A Carolina Mudcats of the Southern League, where he was named the league's broadcaster of the year in 1995.

Licht is a native of Detroit, Mich. He graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in broadcast journalism in 1981. During his time at Syracuse, he was involved in radio broadcasts of football and basketball. As a junior, he worked as a reporter at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., and did play-by-play for the International League's Syracuse Chiefs.

Licht called football, basketball and baseball games for Marietta (Ohio) College following his graduation. From there, he moved back to North Carolina where he worked with the Wake Forest University football and basketball network as an engineer, color commentator and play-by-play announcer.

Licht and his wife, Monica, reside in Mandeville with their three daughters, Rachel (12), Sara (7) and Alexandra (5).