Key to Charlotte Hornets’ success last season: Nobody worried about next contract

Shooting guard-small forward Nic Batum isn’t the first to say this, but he believes the key to the Charlotte Hornets winning 48 regular-season games last season was a remarkable lack of selfishness.

Five players in the rotation all became unrestricted free agents after last season. That is a formula for “I’m looking out for myself,” but it was remarkably the opposite. A strong example: Center Al Jefferson not only didn’t demand his starting spot back after returning from knee surgery, but he embraced a role off the bench to let Cody Zeller keep starting.

Shortly after small forward Courtney Lee was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Hornets last February, he asked Jefferson if the unselfishness he sensed was real. Jefferson told him absolutely, and Lee replied how rare that is in the NBA.

Batum hopes there is a carryover effect from that culture.

“(Fans) talked a lot about contracts, because of (so many) free agents. But we forgot about that and played for the team and for the city,” Batum said. “Contracts work themselves out. We lost Jeremy and Big Al and C-Lee, but we’ve got (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) back. We’re getting Marco (Belinelli) and Big Roy (Hibbert).

“I think we got better.”

Marvin Williams offered something similar at media day Monday.

“We’ve always had the right guys who want to get better. I think we’ve got the same guys again,” Williams said. “Once you buy in, man, the possibilities are endless. You’ll play better collectively, you’ll play better individually.”

This story was originally published September 28, 2016 at 9:48 PM with the headline "Key to Charlotte Hornets’ success last season: Nobody worried about next contract."