An Oral History of the 1988 Charlotte Hornets, 25 Years Later
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The Hornets logo wound up on sweatshirts and Starter jackets worn by people all the around the country. “ An Oral History of the place 1988 Charlotte Hornets, For every game they won, they lost three. They had no superstars. They were short, went and they were tall. They wore baggy shorts. 25 years later They weren’t good with neckties. They were castoffs. But in 1988, the inaugural version of the Charlotte Hornets took the court anyway. The story of that season lives on. And it is the greatest Charlotte sports story ever told nutsBy Matt CrossMan ” us R Cy AN g O L 44 CHARLOTTE n NOVEMBER 2013 NOVEMBER 2013 n CHARLOTTE 45 I even talked to (former Major League Baseball commis- SHINN At one time there were 11 cities trying to get it. look on his face. Kind of white. I said, “Oh, CHAPTER I sioner) Peter Ueberroth about trying to get a baseball team for Charlotte was always last in the pickings. For a guy that heck, it didn’t go well or something.” I went Charlotte. Peter told me Charlotte was much too small. This was graduated last in his high school class, I thought, I had to the door and said, “What is it?” He said, Charlotte’s pitCh 25 years ago. It just wouldn’t work. You had too many games, been there before. I had been on the bottom before. real quiet, “David Stern just called me.” and it would just be too much. You needed a much bigger market Keep your faith, keep pushing, keep believing. All these Yeah, yeah? for Major League Baseball. things continued to motivate me. “And he said, ‘George, this is April So after I left Ueberroth’s office, I went straight to the NBA Fool’s Day, but this is no April Fool. and found out they were expanding. In other words, baseball HENDRICK I never thought we had a chance. You’ve been selected No. 1.’ ” closed the door on me. Basketball didn’t close the door. They left We hugged each other. Shed a few the door cracked. But I really had to show them some stuff. We tears. One of the best moments in my ......PART 1...... had to sell tickets; we had to do all these things before we even ......PART 2...... sports marketing career, for sure. It was had a team. sort of incredible. And then it continued “who the hell is george shinn?” the Preacher Man and his PulPit to be incredible, which you know by the “honestly, i’m not sure i knew (Shinn, Hendrick, and Sabates traveled to Phoenix to present reception we got. their case for Charlotte to the NBA on October 20, 1986.) RICK HENDRICK, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and Hendrick Auto- where Charlotte was when he came in.” motive Group and an original investor in the Hornets George (Shinn) —NBA Commissioner David Stern, on ......PART 3...... backed me when I first went into the automobile business. He first meeting with George Shinn SABATES When we got to Phoenix, they were laughing was a customer of mine, and then when I got my first dealership, at us. It was like, “Who in the heck are these cowboys, colors and a Mascot he was an investor with me. So George and I were friends. Max MAX MUHLEMAN, a sports marketer hired by Shinn We went over to these hillbillies from North Carolina?” It was George How Shinn convinced Alexander Julian (Muhleman, a sports marketing agent) was helping me in the see (NBA commissioner) David Stern in his office in New York. Shinn, Rick Hendrick, Max Muhleman, and myself. to chip in (Hint: chopped pork) Above: Alexander Julian, from racing business. George watched my racing operation, and he We sat down on his sofa. He pulled out a big cigar and pointed it Everybody went to a cocktail party the night before Chapel Hill, was said he wanted to do something in sports. So I said, “Max, call at us and said, “Why Charlotte?” I was ready for that one. What I the presentation. People from Miami (one of three living in New York when he agreed this guy.” had done was show Charlotte not as a metropolitan market but other cities to eventually get a team in this expansion SHINN Alexander Julian (a famous designer from Chapel to develop the colors for the as a regional market. I felt the effective drawing area was 50 to round) were walking around sticking out their chests. Hill) was the one who came up with the colors. Hornets. He FELIX SABATES, owner of yacht and car dealerships and an original 100 miles. Nobody would talk to us. sorely missed “Carolina caviar,” investor in the team One of my friends was the COO of First Union We went golfing the next morning before the ALEXANDER JULIAN, clothing designer I said, “Do you have as he called it, DAVID STERN, and Hornets’ Bank, a gentleman by the name of John Georgius. He called me NBA commissioner I remember that George came up presentation. It was funny—not even the starter could any ideas of what you’d like to do?” (Shinn) said, “Yes, owner George and asked if I would sit down to meet with George Shinn. I said, (to formally apply for a franchise). He was accompanied by the pronounce our names. It was Mr. Shine, Mr. Molahoon. if you can, we’d like to use the colors that we’re putting Shinn gladly agreed to send “Who the hell is George Shinn?” governor—Governor Jim Martin—and a couple of state police- They murdered our names. No one took us serious. in the new stadium that’s being built.” I said, “Well, him a shipment from Papa Doc’s I was already involved with professional sports in this town. men. They were guarding the governor. And this little jumping We went in to make the presentation to the board of I can try. What colors are you using?” He said teal—I Pig Palace every I helped bring in the now-defunct World Football League. bean named George Shinn. He was talking the talk. Honestly, I’m trustees. I’m going to tell you, George Shinn got up and said, “Well, hang on, George, teal is one of my signature month. I brought professional soccer to Charlotte. Of course I was not sure I knew where Charlotte was when he came in. made absolutely the best speech I’ve ever heard in my colors.” Then he said Carolina blue—I said, “Yeah, cut below: The coaches and involved in racing. I met with George, and we discussed some The reality was, I was instantly impressed at the data of the life. He waited until the end, and then he said, “I have me up and I bleed Carolina blue, because I was born and the front-office possibilities of ownership. market and the enthusiasm of the governor and George. From 10,000 ticket reservations for my team.” I remember raised in Chapel Hill.” He said white. Then he said pink. employees are in suits, and they’re the beginning, I was a huge fan of Charlotte and a big believer Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics, he was the first one I said, “pink, uh, OK. Well, you know, all I can do is try. surrounded by the players in a sea of GEORGE SHINN, founder and majority owner I … tried baseball. I in the NBA in a single-team market. The reality is that you just to stand up and start applauding. He came over and Send me the colors.” Julian’s signature called Bobby Brown, who at the time was the president of the cannot measure a market by its size. You have to measure the hugged George. It was pretty emotional. Teal and purple were my signature colors. They teal. American League. I had met him before, and we had become available consumer dollars, the available corporate dollars, the were the colors my kids, who were young at the time, pretty good buddies. I asked him would he let me share with him avidity of fans, the cash-basis of where your fans will come from, STERN I was in George’s column long before he knew it. thought that I invented. There are people in the my financial worth and him tell me if I would be able to own a and the presence or absence of other sports, which has a direct I was in favor of Charlotte. He had to sell the owners. fashion industry who still think I get a royalty anytime baseball team. That was my ultimate goal. impact on suite sales, sponsorship sales. I remember he made a great presentation, because somebody uses teal and purple. I wish it was so. George has a little bit of the preacher man in him. So he sent me the colors. What he was calling teal was actually green, more of what I could call mallard, THE CAST SABATES The next morning, the front page of the news- a forest green. My teal, my signature teal was much The names of the people who participated in this oral history, in order of appearance paper said the only franchise that Charlotte is going to more blue, it’s a blue-green. get has golden arches, meaning McDonald’s. ricK hendricK, MaX MuhleMan, carl scheer, MuggsY Bogues, tiM KeMPton, owner of Hendrick sports marketer the team’s first general manager a 5-3 point guard and a 6-10 power forward MUHLEMAN It was a good line.