What’s your view on current state of the Hornets? Take the Observer’s fan survey
Before getting traded and making headlines regarding the stark cultural difference between the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets, Terry Rozier couldn’t hide his obvious disappointment.
Rozier, reflecting on another loss in a yet another season season filled with them, was downtrodden and tired of the defeats and injuries piling up. Just like they had in the bulk of his final three years with the Hornets prior to being moved to Miami for a protected 2027 first-round pick and Kyle Lowry, who was officially waived on Sunday once the Hornets completed the always-expected buyout.
“It’s tough, it’s tough,” Rozier said after Charlotte’s overtime loss to Chicago last month. “I ain’t even going to act like it’s not. It sucks because we are all brothers, and we’ve got a great locker room and we haven’t been at our full strength all season. And then especially when you want to turn things around. We owe it to the city and fans, and it’s just unfortunate the situation we’ve been in.”
A few weeks later, Rozier didn’t mince words when chiming in on the difference between his new employer and former one.
“In Charlotte, you’re kind of used to losing,” he said. “It’s in the DNA. It sucks to say that because of how much of a competitor I am.”
Those words reverberated around the league, bouncing right back to Spectrum Center.
“I mean, he’s not wrong,” Miles Bridges said days later when asked about it. “I’m not saying we’ve got losing DNA, but the way that we’ve been taking losses and … I wouldn’t say we are getting used to it, but it’s like we are just moving on. We are not really taking it that serious. We’ve got to take it serious, man.
“Terry is getting a lot of backlash for what he said, but he’s been in the locker room. He’s been a vet in this locker room and he sees what’s going on. So, we’ve just got to turn that into motivation.”
Will the Hornets ever put a sustainable winning product on the floor and stop catching stray subtle — and not so subtle — comments that mock Charlotte’s decade-long struggle to become relevant nationally? And if so, when?
To gauge where you, the fan, stands in regards to the franchise’s direction, the Observer created an anonymous 20-question poll on Google Forms. We hope you take a moment to make your voice heard.
Results will be compiled and posted.
