Bobcats seek to regain Hornets nickname

In this Jan. 23, 2013 file photo, Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan looks on from courtside during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks in Charlotte, N.C. AP FILE PHOTO

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – NBA great Michael Jordan wants to get Charlotte buzzing again, applying to the NBA to re-name his Charlotte Bobcats the Hornets.

If approved, the switch would take effect for the 2014-15 season.

The first NBA club in Charlotte was named the Hornets, and played in the city from 1988 until they moved to New Orleans in 2002.

In 2004, the league awarded the expansion Bobcats franchise to Charlotte.

Now that the New Orleans club has re-named itself the Pelicans, a switch that became official last month, Jordan wants to bring the Hornets name back to Charlotte.

“This is a monumental moment for our organization,” Jordan said. “After undergoing an elaborate research process, we recognize that this is what our fans want.

“We believe that making this change would not only re-establish one of the most recognized brands in sports, but would also unify our fan base by bringing together our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have fond memories of our city’s NBA predecessor. Our fans spoke and we listened.”

The Hornets made the playoffs in seven of their 14 seasons in Charlotte. They led the NBA in attendance eight times in that span.

The Bobcats, meanwhile, have made the playoffs in only one of nine seasons.

Jordan, a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and winner of six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, was the first former player to become a majority owner in the NBA, spending $275 million for the Bobcats in 2010.