The Hornets will retire Dell Curry‘s No. 30 jersey on March 19, the team announced in a press release. The former NBA shooting guard spent 10 years with the Hornets as a player (from the late 1980s to the late ’90s) and is in his 17th season as the team’s television analyst. He joins Bobby Phils (No. 13) as just the second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired.
“As owners, we are committed to celebrating our Hornets legacy and recognizing those who helped build the foundation of this franchise,” said Hornets co-chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin. “Dell Curry has been a cornerstone of the Charlotte Hornets for more than 25 years – both on and off the court. He exemplifies what it means to be a Hornet through his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence.
“Dell’s impact on our organization, our fans and our community is undeniable, and he is truly deserving of this honor. We look forward to celebrating this special moment with Hornets fans and raising No. 30 to the rafters of Spectrum Center forever.”
The team staged an elaborate interview with Curry to reveal the jersey retirement (YouTube link). The entire video is enjoyable, but Curry’s reaction is around 10 minutes in.
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- Head coach Charles Lee referred to point guard LaMelo Ball as the Hornets’ “emotional leader” following Thursday’s victory over the Lakers, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times. “We’ve always marveled at his shot-making, but the thing that I think continues to just impress me, the thing that continues to help our team get better and better is that he’s trusting the pass,” said Lee. “I think that he’s really maximizing everyone around him. He’s making them better. … And then he just does what Melo does: He’s a shot-maker.”
- Forward Miles Bridges recently moved into third place on the team’s all-time scoring list, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges passed Larry Johnson and Gerald Wallace, and now only trails Curry and Kemba Walker, Charlotte’s all-time leading scorer. “That means a lot at the same time because those guys put in hard work, and they actually made the playoffs here,” Bridges said. “So, that just shows my loyalty to this team and their loyalty to me. That’s big for me. I just want to continue to keep climbing up the ranks, but at the same time, I want to help us win.”
- While Charlotte remains inconsistent, Lee believes the team’s recent road trip, which concluded with a win in Denver on Sunday, showed the Hornets are capable of beating anyone on a given night, Boone adds in the same story. “I think that they all have a level of humble confidence and understanding that we are a good team and when we play the way that we need to play on both ends of the floor, we can beat any team in the NBA,” Lee said. “But we also have to have that humility that when we don’t play as hard as we need to, or we don’t play as together as we need to, or we don’t lock in on the things that are important for winning games, then we can be beat. I think that this group just has a great sense of what that looks like.”