Thoughts on Charlotte Hornets Unveiling Classic Purple Uniforms for Upcoming Season
Photo: nba.com
With the 25th anniversary of the debut of the classic purple Charlotte Hornets uniform, the Hornets announced today they will be bringing the classic purples back for the upcoming season. The team had already worn the classic whites and classic teal uniforms from time to time for the last two seasons, so bringing back the purple will complete the trio of the classic uniforms that Hornets fans love so much. They are scheduled to wear the purple uniforms for five home games this upcoming season. They are November 9 (vs. New Orleans Pelicans), December 27 (vs. Oklahoma City Thunder), February 22 (vs. Brooklyn Nets), March 7 (vs. Houston Rockets), and March 28 (vs. Los Angeles Clippers).
Photo: nba.com
I have two thoughts on the decision to bring back the purple uniforms. First of all, I like it. I was as happy as anyone when the team rebranded from the dreadful Bobcats to the beloved Hornets. I kept up closely with the “Bring Back the Buzz” movement and even used the grassroots movement to write a letter to Michael Jordan on why he should rebrand to the Hornets. Before leaving Charlotte to move to New Orleans, the Hornets were very special to the city of Charlotte and to the people across the state. They were North Carolina’s first top-level professional sports team, had arguably the coolest brand across the NBA during the 90s, and inspired fans to completely fill up The Hive every single game. When that all disappeared with the move to New Orleans, fans were absolutely crushed. The Bobcats era was a failure in most ways with a name and brand that fans just couldn’t get behind. So like every Charlotte basketball fan, I was thrilled when the Hornets made their comeback to Charlotte.
Even though they don’t wear the classic uniforms most games, they do bring them out for special dates, and they are just as awesome as they were in the 90s. Bringing the purple uniform back this season is a great decision because it plays on the powerful nostalgia of Hornets fans. But that brings me to my second thought: How far will nostalgia carry Hornets fans? Bringing the Hornets back to Charlotte was an immense success as far as rejuvenating the fan base. And when they began wearing the white and teal classic uniforms two seasons ago, it created more excitement and anticipation. But at some point, nostalgia will only carry the Hornets so far. Fans want a winning team.
The Hornets rebrand bought the front office time to get the right product on the court. Bringing back classic uniforms and the classic court design has added more time. But year after year the product fails and fans lose interest. The general fan feeling now is as low as it has been since the rebrand. Losing fan favorite and NBA all-star Kemba Walker by handling the situation as worse as possible and a questionable draft has excitement for the upcoming season very minimal. While the purple jerseys are very cool, they won’t help the team win, and that’s what is most important.
The front office is running out of time. To some, they have already run out. But they must prove to the fans that at the least, they have a plan for putting a winning product on the floor. If Hornets fans could at least have hope that a few years down the road we will be competitive again, we would be satisfied. But with bad decision after bad decision from the front office, losing records, and preparing for yet another rebuild, it’s VERY difficult to get too excited about the upcoming season. The classic uniforms are the best uniforms across the league, in my opinion, so hey, at least our team will look good while getting beat by 20+.
Garett