From: Jacob Kupferman (Getty Images)
19-63 in 2024-25. Two winning seasons in the last 10 years. Preseason win total set at 27.5. LaMelo Ball's future in Charlotte questioned. Hornets basketball was in a dark place heading into the 2025-2026 season. It stayed dark at the start of the year, sitting at 11-22 after a loss to the Warriors on December 31. Despite the rough patches, the constant losing seasons, and missed time due to injuries, the Hornets are 15-7 in 2026, 10-1 in their last 11. Charlotte is buzzing, and its team is ready to sting anyone in their path.
Charles Lee knew he was in store for a rebuild when he got to Charlotte last year. The fan support was almost non-existent, his best players were injury-prone, and the front office did not give him the best chance at winning. In just two years, that has flipped. This season, Brandon Miller has already played more games than he did last year, and LaMelo Ball has been able to stay on the court. The team is healthy and playing together at a level not seen since Kemba Walker led the Hornets.
https://twitter.com/ChariNKnueppel/status/1989412073634410774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1989412073634410774%7Ctwgr%5E30893bd424608facad3c39f88bdf5c7d4d23d05a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fnba%2Fstory%2F_%2Fid%2F46975323%2Frookie-kon-knueppel-family-hosts-hornets-team-dinner
Charlotte's top draft pick Kon Knueppel is a Milwaukee native. When the Hornets went on the road to take on the Bucks, Knueppel's family asked their son to come over for a home-cooked meal. Instead of a routine family dinner, the entire team showed up at the rookie's house. The following night, with over 1,000 of the rookie's family and friends in attendance, Knueppel poured in 32 points. Despite the loss and sitting at 4-8, the team stood together and shared laughs at their rookie's family home the night before. If team culture could be put into a picture, it would be the one above.
Speaking of Knueppel, he is a huge reason why the team has turned a corner. The rookie from Duke has added instant impact. Kon is averaging almost 20 points per game on elite efficiencies, shooting over 40% from deep. Being a glue guy right away is not easy. Knueppel is showcasing why his teammates at Duke and now in the Buzz City love him.
LaMelo Ball's injury history raised questions about his ability to become the leader on a playoff team. Those questions have subsided, as Ball has not missed a game since December 14 and has only missed a maximum of five games in a row. The same can be said for Brandon Miller, who, after missing 13 of the first 15 games of the season, has played in all but four games for the Hornets. The one-two punch Charlotte prayed could stay healthy is finally flourishing on the court.
Another revelation has been at the center position. Instead of a traditional center rotation, the Hornets play two bigs almost identical minutes. Moussa Diabate averages 25.2 minutes per game and Ryan Kalkbrenner averages 22.9 minutes per game. Both bigs rebound their asses off, while protecting the paint on the defensive end. While not relied upon offensively, Diabate and Kalkbrenner are largely important to Charlotte's team identity.
26-29 may not look like much. If you looked at the standings as a casual observer of the NBA, you probably wouldn't think that Charlotte is a city rallying behind its basketball team. Except they are. The Charlotte Hornets are flying high in 2026, and looking to sting whatever team they face in the playoffs.