NBA: Charlotte Bobcats History

The Charlotte Bobcats are a new addition to the National Basketball Association as of 2004. The Bobcats came to Charlotte after another fairly recent expansion team, the Charlotte Hornets, relocated to New Orleans.

The decision for the Hornets to relocate away from Charlotte was an interesting one in the minds of many. North Carolina is known for its love of basketball and many saw the state as a place that should have a basketball team.

The Bobcats have quickly seen success in the NBA. Despite the fact that they had to start with a clean slate, using an expansion draft to field a team, the Bobcats have already managed to make the playoffs. Their playoff run this year was largely led by someone that joined the team in its conception, Gerald Wallace.

Gerald Wallace was picked up by the Bobcats in their expansion draft as a player from the Sacramento Kings. Wallace was then a young athlete, but has since developed into a great defender and rebounder with adequate scoring abilities. The Bobcats also picked Emeka Okafor in the rookie draft that season. Okafor is known for his defensive prowess. The combined efforts of Okafor and Wallace provided the Bobcats with a solid defensive team. This really set the tone for the type of team that this franchise wanted to represent it.

Things have slowly continued to improve since the conception of the Bobcats. As expected, their first few seasons brought only 20-30 wins. It takes a few years for a team to develop. Things have taken a turn upward recently, led by Larry Brown, a legendary coach.

In his first season Larry Brown managed to lead the Bobcats to a team record 35 wins. This total was just 4 games out of the 8th seed position in the Eastern Conference.

2010 has been the biggest story of the Bobcats franchise thus far. In 2010 the Bobcats made history, securing their first playoff spot ever with an impressive 44-38 season. Larry Brown has been known throughout his career for his ability to turn around poor teams and bring them to the playoffs. Once again, Larry Brown showed that ability in leading the team to the playoffs.

In their first playoff appearance the Bobcats did not fare well. They faced off against the Orlando Magic who are a young, talented team, led by Dwight Howard. The size of Howard combined with the talent of his supporting cast was just too much for the Bobcats to handle. The Magic were able to defeat the Bobcats in an easy series. The series finished 4-0 in the favor of the Magic.

Although 2010 ended with a sour note the Bobcats have a lot to look forward to. Recently, basketball legend Michael Jordan was approved to become the majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan is known for his competitive nature and many people feel like he will go to whatever lengths necessary to bring this team to the top. The Charlotte Bobcats are a team that is looking up after just a few years in the National Basketball Association.