Terry Rozier found a home in Charlotte with the Hornets like he never expected
Pop open a web browser window or click the appropriate smart phone application and bring up one of the popular social media sites.
If Terry Rozier is on it, there is more than a good chance one might see a post or two of him riding through Charlotte, most likely on his way to or from Spectrum Center, repeating some lyrics while thumping musical tunes with ear-splitting bass lines. His demeanor is typically easygoing, soaking up scenes that are considerably contrasting to what he was accustomed to in his native Cleveland — or even Boston, his first NBA destination.
In three short years, Rozier has made this city his home. And the marriage is expected to be a long-term partnership after the Hornets inked him to a four-year, $97-million extension last month. The deal locks in the 27-year-old for the next five seasons, pairing him with LaMelo Ball in the Hornets’ starting backcourt for the foreseeable future, and allowing him to truly establish some roots in Charlotte after initial uncertainty about the place.
“When you first get here, you just don’t know what to expect,” Rozier said Tuesday. “You are on the back-burner trying to find everything out, and then fast forward to now and I love it. I love it. It’s so peaceful. The people are so nice. I say that all the time. It’s different for me and I love it.”
There is no question Rozier settled into his new environment. He’s flourished from the moment he arrived and turned things up a notch last season, averaging 20.4 points per game and shooting 45% from the floor. Each was was career best. He’s also transformed himself into a clutch performer in catch-and-shoot 3-point situations, ranking fifth in that category after connecting on 43.3% of them.
Beyond the growth on the court, something else has become obvious during his impressive evolution: A willingness to lead. Rozier is the Hornets’ unquestioned chief, the very person holding every one of his teammates accountable. He’s their emotional spark, sounding board and big brother all wrapped up into one.
Toward the end of last season when injuries were taking their toll on some players mentally, Rozier made an impassioned plea during one of the media availability Zoom sessions. He implored how all his teammates should not only be giving every ounce of sweat they can to the team’s cause, but also do it while fighting through nagging injuries if need be.
He’s a throwback.
Gordon Hayward raves about Rozier’s progression, noting the elevation since their days together with the Celtics.
“That’s the maturity that you are seeing from him both as a basketball player and as a leader,” Hayward said. “As a person off the court, he’s a veteran and he’s been through a lot of things in this league. So we need that from him to help lead us and lead some of these young guys. Not just his play on the court, but off the court as well. And he’s done a great job of that.”
Perhaps nothing highlights that like Rozier’s most recent brainchild, which was executed so brilliantly that it’s been the talk of the first two days of the preseason. Rozier organized a team gathering in South Florida from Sept. 6-10 and it featured workout sessions, scrimmages and bonding moments.
Nearly every player has casually brought it up, often unprompted, and explains how it’s assisted in settling them down somewhat heading into the preseason. Coach James Borrego referred to it, too, in a conversation with The Observer leading into training camp.
“It means everything,” Rozier said. “It means everything, simply because of the fact everybody was there. Even if we were to all get together in Miami and do nothing — just the fact that everybody bought in and everybody was committed to what we’ve got going on in the season ... I told them this is when it starts. I felt no team is really doing that that early, really getting together, trying to make things work. I’m just glad that everybody committed. All 16 guys were there. I’m even more happy that they mentioned it. The same (thing) we did today is the same thing we did in Miami. So it’s just competing, but it’s the for-real thing now. And it just started in Miami, that’s all.”
Actually, it commenced not long after the conclusion of Las Vegas Summer League action last month. That’s when Rozier fired off a group text upon leaving the desert, letting his teammates in on his master plan. He was organizing something in South Florida and he wanted them to attend. It wasn’t an ultimatum and he didn’t expect the response to be so overwhelmingly positive so quickly. But they all committed.
That also goes for the man whose name is on the paychecks — owner Michael Jordan.
“It’s great,” Rozier said. “It just let everybody know how committed everybody is. From all the way at the top — Michael Jordan is the top of this whole thing — all the way down to the last guy, whoever you want to consider that is. So, it’s just as important we were all in there, and just to have a guy like the G.O.A.T. in there just watching us compete, and we were competing and talking stuff, it was dope. It was a lot of fun. You had to really be there to feel it.”
Everyone, in a sense, is a beneficiary of Rozier’s perfectly executed plan. Simply because he spoke up.
“Yeah, he’s much more aggressive in his leadership and I’d say it’s more vocal,” Borrego said. “He led by example early on when we first got him. He was always a great worker, a great teammate. Played hard, had a real drive about him. But the level you have to get to as a leader is you’ve got to be vocal. The ultimate leadership to me is when you step into being a vocal leader and that’s where he’s headed. He had a great summer this year putting together the guys getting together in Miami. His talk on the court is infectious and we’re going to need that. He’s taken a major step the last couple of years with his leadership overall on and off the floor.”
When he opens his mouth, they listen.
“It’s great because I have a great locker room and I’m not dealing with guys where everybody feels like they know everything,” Rozier said. “Because I don’t know everything. And I let everybody live through their mistakes and things like that, and I try to help when I can. But we’ve got a great locker room and it starts with that. A great locker room where guys want to be better, want to do things for the sake of the team, it’s easy on a leader.”
