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Hornets pick LaMelo Ball third overall in 2020 NBA draft

The Charlotte Hornets tonight selected guard LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The 6-7 Ball played for the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League during the 2019-20 season, earning NBL Rookie of the Year honors. In 12 games played, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game, ranking second in the league in assists and steals, eighth in rebounding and 17th in scoring. Ball became the youngest player in league history to record a triple-double when he tallied 32 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists against the Cairns Taipans. He then became the fourth player in NBL history and first since 2005 to record back-to-back triple-doubles when he tallied 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists vs. the New Zealand Breakers.

A native of Anaheim, California, Ball averaged 39.6 points, 14.6 rebounds and 11.5 assists in the Junior Basketball Association in 2018, winning a championship and earning All-Star honors in the league created by his father Lavar. In 2017-18, he left Chino Hills High School before the start of his junior season and played in eight games for Vytautas Prienai in Lithuania’s LKL, averaging 6.5 points and 2.4 assists.

As a freshman at Chino Hills High School in 2015-16, Ball won a state championship along with his brothers, Lonzo, currently with the New Orleans Pelicans, and LiAngelo. He was MaxPreps’ 2015-16 Co-National Freshman of the Year, sharing the honor with his teammate and fellow 2020 NBA Draft prospect Onyeka Okongwu. As a sophomore in 2016-17, he scored 92 points in a game, posting the second highest single-game total in California high school history.

Ball and his eldest brother Lonzo, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, become the first set of brothers to both be selected in the top three of the NBA Draft.

Charlotte Hornets reveal new City Edition basketball court design

The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled a new City Edition court design that will be used for games in which the Hornets wear the corresponding City Edition uniform at Spectrum Center during the 2020-21 season.

After having a Classic Edition court during the last three seasons, the Hornets will now have a City Edition court for the first time.

DESRIPTION OF THE COURT PER THE HORNET

Like the City Edition uniform, the court features a mint, gold and granite color scheme that celebrates Charlotte’s history as home of the first U.S. Branch Mint and the Carolina Gold Rush of the early 1800s, while also incorporating the state rock of North Carolina.

Highlights of the design include:

The court features the “Buzz City” logo at center court outlined in gold and mint.

A tonal mint-colored cell pattern fills the area between the three-point line and free-throw lane.

A gold and graphite version of the secondary logo appears inside the three-point lines.

The free-throw lane is graphite with gold lines.

The court apron is graphite with gold accents on the home time end of the court and mint accents on the visiting team end.

A “coin-ridged” stripe matching the pinstripes on the City Edition uniform runs throughout the apron.

The baseline near the home bench says “Charlotte” in gold and the baseline near the visiting bench says “Hornets” in mint.

The apron has a gold “C” in the official team font at center court, similar to the waistband of the City Edition shorts and reminiscent of the “C” that appeared on coins from the Charlotte Mint.

The gold “C” on the apron is flanked by the word “Trade” in gold across from the home bench and the word “Tryon” in mint across from the visiting team bench, representing Trade and Tryon Streets, the major intersection two blocks away from Spectrum Center at the heart of Uptown Charlotte that divides the area’s four wards.

A pair of Spectrum Center logos continue to live outside the three-point lines.

The Novant Health logo will continue to appear on the apron in front of each bench.

Charlotte Hornets reportedly targeting James Wiseman in NBA Draft

The 2020 NBA draft is three weeks from Wednesday. Here’s the Charlotte Observer with a report on a player the Hornets hope to land:

The Hornets are highly interested in selecting former Memphis center James Wiseman in the Nov. 18 draft, two NBA sources with knowledge of the situation told The Observer.

Those sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they aren’t authorized to represent their teams publicly. Both sources work for teams with top-10 draft picks.

Those sources said they believe the Hornets — who hold the third overall pick — would consider trading up if it would secure Wiseman, who played just three college games at Memphis before opting out of his freshman season and turning pro.

One of those sources said he views Georgia guard Anthony Edwards as the Hornets’ backup plan if Wiseman isn’t available to Charlotte.

Wiseman is an intriguing player and a top prospect who could go as high as first overall.

NBA draft prospect Devon Dotson discusses his game

Here’s the Charlotte Observer on a talented young guard’s preparation for the 2020 NBA draft:

Get off fried foods, learn to love granola and develop a consistent jump shot.

That is Charlottean Devon Dotson’s formula, as he trains in Las Vegas for the NBA draft. He’s working out at Impact Training, a facility many pros use in the offseason for skills refinement, conditioning and diet guidance.

Dotson won a state championship at Providence Day, playing with now-Boston Celtic Grant Williams. He went on to two seasons as the starting point guard at Kansas, succeeding Charlotte Hornet Devonte Graham in that role.

His biggest appeal to NBA teams will be his exceptional first-step quickness. But it’s his outside shooting that is a tougher sell in a league so mindful these days of shooting and spacing.

“Right away, I can bring a fast pace — I change the whole pace of a game. I’m a dynamic, quick guard who can get in the lane at will,” Dotson said in a media conference call Wednesday.

“And with my quickness, with my strength, I can get into an opposing guard (defensively) and make his night a little tougher.”

LaMelo Ball plans to stick with his current shooting form

LaMelo Ball is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2020 NBA draft. Here’s the Charlotte Observer with an update:

In a 24-minute media session Monday, Ball said …

He doesn’t need to fix his shooting form, which was widely criticized from his play last season in Australia.

He is a fit for any NBA team — from the title contender Golden State Warriors to a starless one (such as the Hornets).

He “doesn’t really care” about numerous perceptions of him and his family, which once was the subject of a reality show.

As far as his bombastic father, LaVar, he said this in regard to dad calling the Warriors, with the second pick, a bad fit:

“I’m my own man. He’s his own man. He has his opinions. I have mine,” Ball said. “I feel like I can play on any team, and do good anywhere I go.”

All eyes will be on Ball throughout the entire process. He’s one of the league’s most fascinating prospects in years.

Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham thinks NBA Most Improved Player award needs clarification

Here’s the Charlotte Observer on a super-talented young Hornet who thinks it wouldn’t hurt if there was more clarity around criteria for the league’s Most Improved Player award:

Charlotte Hornets point guard Devonte Graham has made peace with not winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

But he still thinks he got ripped off, not even being among the three finalists. He’s for the NBA providing some definition to voters of what the award is.

“Obviously, I was upset about it. I’m pretty much over it now,” Graham said following the Hornets’ workout Thursday. “I just know the people who really watch and are around basketball know.”

Graham received endorsements, first from Dallas Maverick Luka Doncic, and then from Los Angeles Laker LeBron James, that he should have at least finished as a finalist. The former second-round pick jumped in scoring average from 4.7 points as a rookie to 18.2 last season.

New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram won the award. Graham finished a distant fifth in the balloting, among 100 media members. All four players ahead of him — Ingram, Bam Adebayo, Doncic and Jayson Tatum — were former lottery picks.

There are definitely many ways to determine who in the league truly improved the most from the previous season. Certainly this award, like the rest, will always be subjective. If there was a perfect formula, results could be calculated, and human voters wouldn’t even be needed. But Graham’s views are certainly valid. The discussion will continue.

Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin forming NASCAR race team, signing Bubba Wallace

NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin today announced the formation of a new NASCAR Cup Series race team that will begin competition for the 2021 season. Rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace has signed a multi-year deal to drive for the yet-to-be-named, single car team.

“Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life,” said Jordan. “The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me. Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few Black owners. The timing seemed perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more. In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing.”

Jordan will serve as principal owner of the new team with Hamlin as a minority partner while he continues to drive the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“Starting a race team has been something that Michael and I have talked about while playing golf together over the years, but the timing or circumstances were never really right,” said the 39-year-old Hamlin. “It just makes sense now to lay the foundation for my racing career after I’m done driving and also help an up-and-coming driver like Bubba take his career to a higher level. Plus, Michael and Bubba can be a powerful voice together, not only in our sport, but also well beyond it.”

With the completed purchase of a NASCAR team charter from Germain Racing, Jordan becomes the first Black majority owner of a full-time race team in NASCAR’s premier series since NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott owned and raced his own car from the 1960s into the early 1970s.

“This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I believe is a great fit for me at this point in my career,” said Wallace, who is the first African-American driver to race full-time at the NASCAR Cup Series level since Scott. “Both Michael and Denny are great competitors and are focused on building the best team they possibly can to go out and compete for race wins. I’m grateful and humbled that Michael and Denny believe in me and I’m super pumped to begin this adventure with them.”

The name, car number, manufacturer, sponsors and other details for the new team will be announced at a future date.

Charlotte Hornets bring back old-school double pinstripe jerseys

The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled cool new Association and Icon Edition uniforms to be worn starting with the 2020-21 NBA season.

The white and teal uniforms were updated in 2017 when Jordan Brand became the Hornets’ uniform provider, but this marks the first full redesign since the Hornets brand returned in 2014.

The new uniforms feature double pinstripes on the jersey, reminiscent of the second iteration of uniforms worn by the original Charlotte Hornets from 1997-2002, though the pinstripes are all one color in the new version.

This is part of an effort to evolve the look through the use of a monochromatic design that incorporates only the team’s traditional primary colors of teal, purple and white. The white Association Edition features teal elements with purple accents, while the teal Icon Edition has white elements with purple accents.

The Association Edition jersey says “Charlotte” on the chest in teal and has teal numbers, all of which are in the team’s current font and are outlined in purple. The anthem decoration above the tag says “Hornets” in purple, while the neck and arm openings are teal.

The Icon Edition jersey says “Hornets” on the chest in white and has white numbers, all of which are in the team’s current font and are outlined in purple. The anthem decoration above the tag says “Charlotte” in purple, while the neck and arm openings are white.

The shorts for each have a double line of the contrasting color on each side that opens into a cell pattern on the outside of the leg that contains a secondary “Silhouette” logo in purple. The waistband
and leg openings are also in the contrasting color, with the Association Edition having a new “H-cell” logo in white on the teal waistband and the Icon Edition having a new “C-cell” logo in teal on the white waistband.

Charlotte Hornets reveal cool new game court design

The Charlotte Hornets today unveiled a cool new design that will appear on their primary game court at Spectrum Center starting with the 2020-21 season.

This marks the first redesign of the primary court since the Hornets brand returned in 2014.

Highlights of the new design include:

· The court now features the partial primary logo at center court, replacing the primary logo

· The cell pattern stained in the wood only appears outside the three-point lines

· A purple version of the secondary “Silhouette” logo replaces the “Buzz City” logo inside the three-point lines

· A new tonal cell pattern appears in white on the teal apron and in the free-throw lanes, which are also now teal

· The baseline near the home bench says “Charlotte” and the baseline near the visiting bench says “Hornets,” rather than both baselines saying “Charlotte Hornets”

· The apron says “Buzz City” at center court, replacing the “Crown C” logo

· A pair of Spectrum Center logos continue to live outside the three-point lines

· The Novant Health logo will continue to appear on the apron in front of each bench

UNC guard Cole Anthony declares for 2020 NBA draft

Here’s the Raleigh News and Observer reporting a story that won’t come as a surprise: North Carolina freshman guard Cole Anthony, son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, is going pro:

Anthony, 6-3, 190 pounds, led the Tar Heels last season with 18.5 points and 4 assists per game. His brief college career got off to a hot start. He scored 34 points in UNC’s season-opening win against Notre Dame. The Tar Heels started the season 6-3.

But injuries, and the team’s lack of on-court chemistry, led to the Tar Heels’ struggles.

Anthony missed 11 games in the middle of the season after having surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. During that stretch, the Tar Heels went 4-7.

Their style of play changed dramatically after. Anthony was the primary ball handler, and without him, the Tar Heels had to spread the ball around more. When he returned Feb. 1 after missing those 11 games, UNC”s new style of play clashed with the old one. The Tar Heels lost seven consecutive ACC games and Anthony shot 38 percent from the floor.

Anthony remains a projected upper lottery pick. His final stats for his one college basketball season were 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 38% FG and 34.8% from three-point range.

The 2020 draft is scheduled for June 25.