Quick Facts
Biography
The original Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) were established in 1988 as an expansion team, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team's roster was filled with unprotected players at the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft, and five days later the Hornets made their first picks out of college players at the 1988 NBA draft. The Hornets remained in Charlotte for 14 seasons before relocating to New Orleans in 2002. Two years after the Hornets' departure, the Charlotte Bobcats were established in 2004. The Bobcats first participated in the 2004 NBA draft, two days after their expansion draft was held. The franchise's name was changed back to the Hornets at the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, one year after the team in Louisiana renamed itself the New Orleans Pelicans. The history and records of the original Charlotte Hornets were conveyed to the newly named Charlotte Hornets.
In 1989, the NBA agreed with the National Basketball Players Association to reduce drafts to two rounds, an arrangement that has remained the same up the present time. Before each draft, an NBA Draft Lottery determines the first round selection order for the teams that missed the playoffs during the prior season. Teams can also trade their picks, which means that in some drafts, teams may have more or less than two draft picks, although they must have at least one first-round pick every other year.
The first pick in the Hornets' history was Rex Chapman, a shooting guard from the University of Kentucky. The Hornets had three top-four picks and all of them have participated in the NBA All-Star Game: Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Baron Davis. In 1996, the Hornets drafted Kobe Bryant 13th overall, but traded him for Vlade Divac. Bryant finished his career as an MVP, a four-time All-star game MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, an eleven-time all-NBA first team, and a five-time NBA Champion. The first player picked by the Bobcats, Emeka Okafor, was named the 2004–05 Rookie of the Year and voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Selections
| Draft | Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | Position | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-11988 | 1 | 8 | Chapman, RexRex Chapman |  United States | Shooting guard | Kentucky |
| 1988-21988 | 2 | 34 | Tolbert, TomTom Tolbert | United States | Power forward/Center | Arizona |
| 1988-31988 | 3 | 58 | Moore, JeffJeff Moore | United States | Power forward/Center | Auburn |
| 1989-11989 | 1 | 5 | Reid, J. R.J. R. Reid | United States | Power forward | North Carolina |
| 1989-21989 | 2 | 29 | Nix, DyronDyron Nix (traded to Indiana) | United States | Power forward | Tennessee |
| 1990-11990 | 1 | 5 | Gill, KendallKendall Gill | United States | Shooting guard | Illinois |
| 1990-21990 | 2 | 39 | Scheffler, SteveSteve Scheffler (from Houston) | United States | Power forward/Center | Purdue |
| 1991-11991 | 1 | 1 | Johnson, LarryLarry Johnson | United States | Small forward/Power forward | UNLV |
| 1991-21991 | 2 | 28 | Lynch, KevinKevin Lynch (from Denver) | United States | Small forward | Minnesota |
| 1992-11992 | 1 | 2 | Mourning, AlonzoAlonzo Mourning | United States | Center | Georgetown |
| 1992-21992 | 2 | 35 | Bennett, TonyTony Bennett | United States | Point guard | Wisconsin–Green Bay |
| 1993-11993 | 1 | 17 | Graham, GregGreg Graham (traded to Philadelphia) | United States | Shooting guard | Indiana |
| 1993-21993 | 1 | 20 | Burrell, ScottScott Burrell (from San Antonio) | United States | Small forward | Connecticut |
| 1994-11994 | 2 | 38 | Hancock, DarrinDarrin Hancock | United States | Shooting guard/Small forward | Kansas |
| 1995-11995 | 1 | 22 | Zidek, GeorgeGeorge Zidek |  Czech Republic | Center | UCLA |
| 1996-11996 | 1 | 13 | Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant (traded to L.A. Lakers) | United States | Shooting guard | Lower Merion (H.S.) |
| 1996-21996 | 1 | 16 | Delk, TonyTony Delk (from Miami) | United States | Point guard/Shooting guard | Kentucky |
| 1996-31996 | 2 | 44 | Rose, MalikMalik Rose | United States | Power forward | Drexel |
| 1998-11998 | 1 | 21 | Davis, RickyRicky Davis | United States | Shooting guard/Small forward | Iowa |
| 1998-21998 | 2 | 50 | Betts, AndrewAndrew Betts (traded to Indiana) |  United Kingdom | Center | Long Beach State |
| 1999-11999 | 1 | 3 | Davis, BaronBaron Davis | United States | Point guard | UCLA |
| 1999-21999 | 2 | 43 | Nailon, LeeLee Nailon | United States | Power forward | TCU |
| 2000-12000 | 1 | 19 | Magloire, JamaalJamaal Magloire |  Canada | Power forward/Center | Kentucky |
| 2001-12001 | 1 | 16 | Haston, KirkKirk Haston | United States | Power forward | Indiana |
| 2004-12004 | 1 | 2 | Okafor, EmekaEmeka Okafor (from L.A. Clippers) | United States | Power forward/Center | Connecticut |
| 2004-22004 | 2 | 45 | Robinson, BernardBernard Robinson (from Milwaukee) | United States | Power forward | Michigan |
| 2005-12005 | 1 | 5 | Felton, RaymondRaymond Felton | United States | Point guard | North Carolina |
| 2005-22005 | 1 | 13 | May, SeanSean May (from Cleveland via Phoenix) | United States | Power forward | North Carolina |
| 2006-12006 | 1 | 3 | Morrison, AdamAdam Morrison | United States | Small forward | Gonzaga |
| 2006-22006 | 2 | 50 | Ryan Hollins (from Sacramento) | United States | Center | UCLA |
| 2007-12007 | 1 | 8 | Wright, BrandanBrandan Wright (traded to Golden State) | United States | Small forward | North Carolina |
| 2007-22007 | 1 | 22 | Dudley, JaredJared Dudley (from Cleveland) | United States | Small forward | Boston College |
| 2008-12008 | 1 | 9 | Augustin, D. J.D. J. Augustin | United States | Point guard | Texas |
| 2008-22008 | 1 | 20 | Ajinça, AlexisAlexis Ajinça (from Denver) |  France | Center | Hyères-Toulon (France) |
| 2008-32008 | 2 | 38 | Weaver, KyleKyle Weaver (traded to Oklahoma City) | United States | Point guard | Washington State |
| 2009-12009 | 1 | 12 | Henderson, GeraldGerald Henderson | United States | Shooting guard | Duke |
| 2009-22009 | 2 | 40 | Brown, DerrickDerrick Brown (from New Jersey via Oklahoma City) | United States | Power forward | Xavier |
| 2009-32009 | 2 | 54 | Vaden, RobertRobert Vaden (from San Antonio, traded to Oklahoma City) | United States | Shooting guard | UAB |
| 2011-12011 | 1 | 9 | Walker, KembaKemba Walker | United States | Point guard | Connecticut |
| 2011-22011 | 1 | 19 | Harris, TobiasTobias Harris (from New Orleans via Portland, traded to Milwaukee) | United States | Small forward | Tennessee |
| 2011-32011 | 2 | 39 | Tyler, JeremyJeremy Tyler (traded to Golden State) | United States | Center | Tokyo Apache (Japan) |
| 2012-12012 | 1 | 2 | Kidd-Gilchrist, MichaelMichael Kidd-Gilchrist | United States | Small forward | Kentucky |
| 2012-22012 | 2 | 31 | Taylor, JefferyJeffery Taylor |  Sweden | Small forward | Vanderbilt |
| 2013-12013 | 1 | 4 | Zeller, CodyCody Zeller | United States | Power forward/Center | Indiana |
| 2014-12014 | 1 | 9 | Vonleh, NoahNoah Vonleh (from Detroit) | United States | Power forward | Indiana |
| 2014-12014 | 1 | 24 | Napier, ShabazzShabazz Napier (from Portland, traded to Miami) | United States | Point guard | Connecticut |
| 2014-22014 | 2 | 45 | Powell, DwightDwight Powell (traded to Cleveland) | Canada | Power forward | Stanford |
| 2015 | 1 | 9 | Kaminsky, FrankFrank Kaminsky | United States | Power forward/Center | Wisconsin |
| 2015 | 2 | 39 | Vaulet, Juan PabloJuan Pablo Vaulet (traded to Brooklyn) |  Argentina | Small forward | Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca (Argentina) |
| 2016 | 1 | 22 | Richardson, MalachiMalachi Richardson (traded to Sacramento) | United States | Shooting guard | Syracuse |