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Miguel Ramirez

Scorchin’ Takes Episode 3 | Brandon Miller and Nick Smith Jr.

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Brandon Miller Throws First Pitch At Knights Game

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Hornets PR

September 12, 2023&nbsp;– The Charlotte Hornets and Dole Food Company today announced a multi-year partnership under which Dole, which has its U.S. headquarters located in Charlotte, becomes a Proud Partner of the Charlotte Hornets.

“We are pleased to have Dole as an official partner of its hometown team, the Charlotte Hornets,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “Dole is an iconic brand, and like the Hornets, is committed to helping address issues related to food insecurity and wellness. We are proud to be working alongside Dole to create meaningful activations in our community.”

Community engagement is a key component of the agreement, with the two organizations delivering fresh fruit donated by Dole to select Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on several occasions throughout the year to promote healthy eating habits among students and families.&nbsp;

"We are thrilled to announce this connection between Dole and the Charlotte Hornets. While we have had a large presence in Charlotte for several years now, this partnership amplifies our commitment&nbsp;to the city we proudly call home," said Xavier Roussel, Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer at Dole.&nbsp;"At Dole we are on a mission to Make the World a Healthier Place and this collaboration empowers us to be actively engaged, visible, and positively impactful in the very place we operate. With eagerness and anticipation, we look forward to a successful journey ahead, one filled with meaningful interactions, enriched experiences, and above all, an abundance of joy and fun!"

Along with being designated as a Proud Partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Dole receives the right to use team marks and logos, the opportunity to serve as presenting partner for one home game each season, a scoreboard feature video during select games and additional assets.

To tip off the partnership, Hugo the Hornet visited Dole’s office in Uptown Charlotte last week.

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Charlotte Hornets Announce New Partnership With Dole

September 7, 2023&nbsp;– The Charlotte Hornets today announced the schedule of the eight Anniversary Night games for the 2023-24 season as the franchise marks the 35th&nbsp;Anniversary of the inaugural 1988-89 Hornets season. Highlights of the schedule include nights honoring all-time greats Baron Davis and Gerald Wallace on Saturday, November 18, and Saturday, February 10, respectively.

The first Anniversary Night will be on Opening Night, October 25, and 15,000 fans will receive an Opening Night T-shirt when the Hornets host the Atlanta Hawks. Davis will be honored during the game against the New York Knicks on Saturday, November 18, and Wallace will be recognized when the Memphis Grizzlies come to town on Saturday, February 10. Both players will take part in special halftime ceremonies acknowledging their achievements during their careers in Charlotte. The first 5,000 fans entering Spectrum Center for those two games will receive commemorative posters of Davis and Wallace, respectively.&nbsp;

Davis was selected by the Hornets with the third overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. In three seasons in Charlotte prior to the team’s departure for New Orleans, he played in 246 consecutive games and averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals as the Hornets made the playoffs three straight years. In 2001-02, Davis averaged 18.1 points and 8.5 assists per game and made the first of his two career NBA All-Star appearances. He ranks fourth in franchise history in both assists per game and steals per game, while also ranking fifth in total assists and seventh in total steals.

Wallace came to Charlotte in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft, spending seven seasons with the Bobcats and averaging 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in 454 games played. A 2010 NBA All-Star, Wallace ranks among the franchise’s career leaders in defensive rebounds (first), steals (second), free throws made (second), points (third), rebounds (third), field goals (fourth), blocks (fourth), minutes played (fourth) and offensive rebounds (fifth).&nbsp;

The Anniversary Night schedule will also include the contest against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, February 29, where the first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a set of nesting dolls featuring a trio of Hornets point guards who have worn No. 1 - LaMelo Ball, Baron Davis and Muggsy Bogues.

For each Anniversary Night, the Hornets will wear the new teal Classic Edition uniform that echoes the second-generation Hornets uniforms worn from 1997-2002. The games will feature appearances by former Hornets greats, along with themed arena activations, music and game presentation elements designed to take fans through the evolution of the franchise from 1988 to the present, and on into the future.

In preparation for the 35th Anniversary celebration, hornets.com today will be launching a 35th Anniversary page at hornets.com/35th that will include content such as the Top Jersey Tourney, where fans can vote in a bracket-style tournament for their favorite uniforms, along with information about the Classic Edition uniform and Anniversary Nights. Additional content will be added leading up to and throughout the season, including historical player profiles and a chance for fans to select their all-time starting lineup.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS 2023-24 ANNIVERSARY NIGHT SCHEDULE

Tickets for all eight Anniversary Night games can be purchased together as part of the Anniversary Plan, which is on sale now and features Uptown Concourse seating, starting at just $23 per ticket per game. Hive Society Memberships for the 2023-24 season and Pick 23 Plans, featuring the first and last home games of the regular season plus 21 games of the purchaser’s choice, are also available. For more information, call 704.HORNETS or visit hornets.com/tickets.

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Charlotte Hornets Announce Schedule Of Eight Anniversary Nights, Giveaways For 2023-24 35th Anniversary Season

Sam Perley

One of the last major to-do’s on the Charlotte Hornets’ offseason agenda has now been checked off, with the team officially re-signing soon-to-be fifth year power forward PJ Washington early last week. On Tuesday afternoon, Washington met with the media at Spectrum Center for the first time since agreeing to terms with the organization.

“I love the city of Charlotte and I’m happy to be here,” said Washington in his opening statement. “I always wanted to stay in Charlotte. There was no doubt about that. We have a bunch of great players here. I'm just excited to come in and see everybody. I'm excited for the season and for all our hard work to show."

Taken with the 12th overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, Washington has steadily improved each of his first four professional campaigns, while taking on several different roles and responsibilities. His re-signing comes on the heels of fellow homegrown talent LaMelo Ball’s rookie max extension, which he inked with the Hornets back in mid-July.

“Every year [PJ’s] been with us, he’s been a pleasure to work with,” said Hornets President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. “His growth on and off the court has been tremendous. He’s a consummate professional and the kind of player that we want in Charlotte. He’s in the gym, he works hard, takes the game seriously, has a good support group. I’m very happy we got the deal done.”

Washington capitalized on an expanded role last season with a career-high 15.7 points on 44.4% shooting – 34.8% from 3-point range – 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks across a team-leading 73 starts. He was one of only five NBA players to total at least 50 steals, 75 blocks and 100 3-pointers (the others: Jaren Jackson Jr., Jaden McDaniels, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Derrick White), making him the 15th player in league history with multiple such seasons.

The now-25-year-old has also showcased a recent propensity for coming through in big spots. Amongst NBA players who took at least 50 field-goal attempts in clutch-time situations last season (score is within five points with five-or-fewer minutes to go), Washington’s 52.4% field-goal percentage was fourth best behind De’Aaron Fox, Bradley Beal, and Bam Adebayo.

Coming into the league, Washington quickly built a reputation as a knock-down corner 3-point specialist but has progressively added more and more to his game. His repertoire now includes more on-ball creation, some back-to-the-basket post moves, a workable floater and switchability out on the defensive perimeter.

“The biggest thing I’ve been working on this summer is getting more comfortable in the mid-range,” stated Washington. “I feel like I’m a good 3-point shooter and last year, I was really good going to the rim. I want to be more comfortable in my mid-range and scoring at all three levels.”

Last season, Washington converted 66.4% of his restricted-area field-goal attempts, a mark that was about the same as the year before (67.1% in 2021-22). His mid-range conversion rate came in at 35.2% (31-of-88), which was a sharp increase in both efficiency (28.6%) and total attempts (7) from his third NBA season. If Washington can hover around 70% in the restricted area again and get closer to 40% in the mid-range and from behind the arc, he could really emerge as the dynamic three-level scoring threat he’s hoping to become.

Bringing Washington back should allow the Hornets to occasionally experiment with more small-ball lineups, especially now that Miles Bridges is returning, as well. Last season, around 95% of Washington’s on-court minutes came at the power forward spot (the highest of his career), after he basically even split his time between the four and five the previous two years.

“He’s versatile enough where you can put him at several positions,” added Kupchak. “He just knows how to play. It’s a natural ability where you know where you’re supposed to be, what you have to do, when to take a shot, when not to take a shot. Coming in as a good, accomplished college player to becoming a consummate professional, which leads to the other things like taking care of yourself, video work, getting in the gym, working on your game, your shot, your weaknesses and trying to improve them. He’ll fit in wherever Coach Clifford puts him on the court. He’s not a player that says, ‘Well I have to play this position and so many minutes.’”

Washington’s Swiss-army-knife-like versatility makes him a valuable cog in the Hornets’ rotation and frankly, one they needed to bring back. Slowly, but surely, the team’s frontcourt unit is becoming more fortified, with Washington now entrenched as one of its core centerpieces.

“At the end of the day, it’s just basketball,” he said. “I like being on the floor. So, whatever the coach asks me to do, I’m going to do it and try and get a win for my team. That’s my mindset going into it and the result is the result. I try and come out, be myself and give everything I can to help the team win.”

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PJ Washington’s Professionalism And Versatility Lead To New Contract In Charlotte

September 5, 2023 – Hornets President of Basketball Operations & General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today the team has signed Angelo Allegri, Nathan Mensah, Tre Scott and Jaylen Sims. All four players played for the Hornets in the California Classic and NBA 2K24 summer leagues. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Allegri played three seasons (2018-21) at UNC Greensboro before finishing his college career with two years (2021-23) at Eastern Washington, averaging 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.0 minutes per game across 165 appearances (107 starts). He was named All-Big Sky First Team in 2022-23.

In five seasons (2018-23) at San Diego State, Mensah led the Mountain West Conference in blocked shots twice and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in both 2021-22 and 22-23. In his final year, Mensah earned All-MWC Third Team honors and helped the Aztecs reach the national championship game.

Scott averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 10 appearances (eight starts) with the Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, last season. In three professional campaigns, he has suited up for the Salt Lake City Stars, Cleveland Charge and Agua Caliente Clippers, in addition to playing two games with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021-22. As a collegian, Scott played four seasons (2016-20) at Cincinnati, notching 11.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a redshirt senior.

Sims was named All-Colonial First Team as a senior in 2021-22 after leading UNC Wilmington to the conference regular-season championship. He finished the year second in the league with 16.4 points per game, in addition to recording 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.5 minutes per contest. Sims averaged 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 39 appearances (four starts) with the Swarm last season.

The Hornets’ roster now stands at 21 players.

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Charlotte Hornets Sign Four Players

Khalil Stewart

What a ride it’s been!&nbsp; For 10 weeks this summer, I had the incredible privilege of participating in the NBA x HBCU Fellowship program with the Charlotte Hornets Communications Division, working primarily with the Digital and PR Teams. These weeks were nothing short of amazing, filled with opportunities for personal and professional growth I could have never anticipated.

One of the highlights of my journey was seeing my first NBA game story published on the team's website. The sense of accomplishment and pride I felt in that moment was beyond words. Additionally, I had the chance to step into roles I never imagined myself in – capturing photographs and crafting press releases. While I initially approached photography with uncertainty, I surprised myself by producing high-quality photos that even earned a spot on the team's Instagram page. Writing press releases proved to be a more challenging endeavor, one that required time, effort, and a steep learning curve. While I'm still on the path of improvement, I'm embracing this challenge with determination and a commitment to growth.

I am grateful for the exceptional individuals I've had the privilege to interact with during this journey. The support, guidance, and camaraderie I've experienced within the HSE family have been invaluable. It's safe to say that I am forever changed by this experience.

As I reflect on these past weeks, I'm reminded of the quote, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

The NBA HBCU Fellowship program has truly pushed me outside of my comfort zone, allowing me to discover new talents and refine existing skills. I am excited about the journey ahead, knowing that these experiences will continue to shape my path in remarkable ways.

I am immensely thankful for the opportunity to be part of this program and for the doors it has opened for me. I look forward to embracing future challenges and accomplishments with the same enthusiasm and determination.

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HBCU Fellowship So Much More Than Expected With Hornets

August 30, 2023 – President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Mitch Kupchak announced today the team has waived guard Kobi Simmons.

Simmons appeared in five games with the Hornets in the 2022-23 campaign, tallying 5 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists combined. He also appeared in 98 contests (78 starts) for the Greensboro Swarm prior to signing a standard contract on April 7th and holds the G-League affiliate’s all-time scoring record with 1,803 points in just three seasons (2019-21, 2022-23).

With the Swarm, Simmons averaged 18.4 points (46.2 FG%, 36.2 3P%, 78.9 FT%), 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.5 minutes per game. Prior to the Swarm, he spent two seasons with the Memphis Hustle and the Cleveland Charge. Most recently, Simmons suited up for the Hornets this year in the California Classic and NBA 2K24 Summer League.

Simmons went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft following one season at University of Arizona.