The Hornets want to show that the NBA still loves Charlotte. Here’s how they plan to do it
On a bright, sunny Tuesday morning, the Charlotte Hornets, the NBA, the City of Charlotte and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners came together to unveil a newly refurbished basketball court at Latta Park in Dilworth.
The Hornets and MTJ Sports resurfaced the court, replaced the baskets and added new benches. The court was painted in the Hornets’ purple and teal colors, along with the logos and lines. The entire process took a little over a week.
The entire organization, including Hornets players, coaches, front office personnel and team ownership — including Michael Jordan — were on hand, as the team turned this once beat-up old court into a showplace for local kids. Current players treated the kids to a clinic.
It’s just another step in reaching out to the local community as the city recovers and tries to restore its image nationally in the wake of House Bill 2, the subsequent removal of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game and the recent protests surrounding the Keith Lamont Scott shooting by Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.
I was in the middle of the mayhem on that Wednesday night after the Scott shooting and saw the anger and sadness firsthand. Events like these are a great way to reconnect the city as one heartbeat.
“It’s been a tough time.” said Fred Whitfield, Hornets president and chief operating officer. Remodeling the court “is a way to show our legacy.”
As are previous events like the “meet the team” event held Saturday, where the team and coaches were introduced to the crowd and had a chance to show off their personalities.
“It’s great for the players to be that close to the fans.” Hornets Head Coach Steve Clifford said Saturday. “Teams definitely feed off their fans, I believe we have a great fan base here.”
As the season progresses, basketball courts in Camp Greene Park and Tuckaseegee Park will get the full Hornets treatment as well.
“The NBA wanted our community to know we aren’t deserting Charlotte,” said Whitfield. “In our conversations with our mayor (Jennifer Roberts), (NBA Commisioner) Adam Silver and our county commissioners, we all were looking for a way to show and prove the NBA still loves Charlotte.”
As we all continue to recover from the events of last month, one thing is certain. Sports can be the great uniter. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver put it best.
“We have a team here,” he said. “We just launched a new development team in Greensboro. We’re committed to North Carolina.”
Photos: Jonathan Lee
This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 12:34 AM with the headline "The Hornets want to show that the NBA still loves Charlotte. Here’s how they plan to do it."