Retiring jerseys has never been a simple conversation in Charlotte. It still gets fans talking, because the debate usually splits right down the middle: should the Hornets be honoring more players, or have there just not been enough truly deserving names to fill the rafters?
Right now, there are three numbers hanging above the court at the Spectrum, and one of them belongs to a player whose jersey is retired everywhere in the NBA.
Bill Russell’s No. 6 is one of the most recognizable honors in the sport, and it has nothing to do with the Hornets’ own timeline. Russell was already long retired when Charlotte entered the league, but his place in basketball history is impossible to separate from the game itself.
The late Celtics center won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards, added two NCAA titles and an Olympic gold medal, and built a résumé that goes far beyond the box score. He also faced racism and prejudice head-on throughout the 1960s, never backing away when he walked into NBA arenas.
Russell was the first black player drafted by the Celtics, later became the NBA’s first black head coach, and was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. The league retired his number in 2022.
Before that league-wide tribute, Bobby Phills stood alone in the Hornets rafters at both the Charlotte Coliseum and the Spectrum Center. His story remains one of the most painful in franchise history.
Michael Jordan once called Phills the toughest defender he ever faced, and the Hornets honored him after he died in a car accident in 2000. When the team relocated to New Orleans, Phills’ number stayed retired there until the Hornets name returned to Charlotte and New Orleans became the Pelicans.
In 2014, Charlotte held a second retirement ceremony for Phills to honor his memory.
Then there’s Dell Curry, a name that may not scream franchise icon to everyone, but one that still carries real weight in Charlotte. Curry spent 10 seasons with the Hornets and built his reputation as one of the team’s most dependable players, especially from three-point range.
He won Sixth Man of the Year in 1994 and, when he left in 1998 for Milwaukee, he was the last player remaining from the original Hornets roster. By the time he retired, he was the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
His number was retired this past season, and he still sees it often now that he calls games on the Hornets’ local broadcasts.
In Other News...
Hornets Suddenly Face A Tough Moussa Diabat Decision
The Hornets suddenly have a good problem in the frontcourt, with Moussa Diabat and Ryan Kalkbrenner adding to a group that already looks crowded. Diabats advanced metrics last season were strong enough to keep him in the conversation as more than just a depth piece, but the fit questions have never gone away for Charlotte. Hes undersized for the position and does not bring much shooting, which makes him easier to evaluate as a useful player than as a clean long-term answer.
So the front office may have to decide whether to cash in that value while the market still has interest. Charlotte needs roster balance as much as it needs more size, and that is why Diabat could become a trade chip even after showing he can help on the floor. The exact return is still uncertain, but this is the kind of decision that can shape whether the Hornets keep stockpiling bigs or start turning that surplus into help elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Came Closer Than Expected To A Major All-Star Swing
The Kings spent much of the 2026 trade deadline and the offseason taking a hard look at moving All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, and Charlotte was among the teams that at least checked in along the way. Sacramentos search for options reached into multiple markets, with the Raptors, Pistons and Celtics all entering the conversation at different points as the Kings weighed what a deal could look like for one of the leagues more productive big men.
For the Hornets, the interest never got far enough to produce anything concrete, but it still offered a glimpse of how wide Sabonis market could have been. A move of that size would have altered the shape of Charlottes roster conversation, especially with a high-end frontcourt piece suddenly in play, but Sacramentos talks kept shifting and Sabonis remains with the Kings for now. [Read more 🡒]
Coby White Just Put Hornets Fans On Notice About This Season
The Hornets have spent the offseason trying to redraw their identity, and Coby White is already sounding like a player who believes the new version can be better than the one that came before it. With LaMelo Ball gone and Naz Reid added to the mix, Charlotte has altered both its ceiling and its responsibilities, and White has made it clear he sees the groups potential even in a crowded Eastern Conference.
Whites confidence matters because it comes with a bigger workload attached. He is positioned to handle more of the offense and help steer the teams tempo, a shift that would put real pressure on him to keep Charlotte organized while still producing. For a Hornets team searching for stability, the early signs of buy-in around the roster may end up telling as much about this season as any individual move. [Read more 🡒]