Charlotte Bobcats to Reportedly Change Name Back to Hornets

Larry Johnson, Mugsy Bogues, Alonzo Mourning Buy up that Charlotte Bobcats merchandise while you still can. Soon you’ll be digging out the old teal and purple Hornets gear.

The Bobcats are changing their name back to the Hornets, according to CBS Sports. Will Brinson notes that the Bobcats are “arranging digital assets that would allow a return to their original nickname.”

The Hornets nickname belonged to Charlotte until 2002, when the team moved to New Orleans. Charlotte quickly got a new team in 2004, but the Hornets name was still being used by New Orleans.

New Orleans is changing its name to the Pelicans for the 2013-14 season, which frees the Hornets back up. The switch has been rumored for some time now. Michael Jordan, the team’s owner, said back in February that the team hired a “national polling group” to ask fans how they would feel about a change. The reaction was that the name was missed, according to Jordan.

The NBA’s next commissioner, Adam Silver, said a change would take at least 18 months. Re-acquiring the name would not be a problem since it belongs to the NBA, not the Pelicans.

The web addresses Hornets.com, CharlotteHornets.com and NBAHornets.com are all owned by NBA Media Ventures, LLC. NBAHornets.com was purchased May 15, 2013.

The Bobcats have had just one playoff season since their inception in 2004. They got swept by the Magic in the Eastern Conference First Round. Without much positive history, a change back to the Hornets should be welcomed.

Hugo, the Hornets’ mascot, would likely welcome the change too. Otherwise, the poor hornet will be unemployed.

And who wouldn’t want to see a return of the teal jerseys with purple pinstripes? Styles from the ’90s are back. The old uniforms should return as well.

Photo via Facebook/Larry Johnson