New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets

The New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets were a professional basketball team that played in the city of Oklahoma from 2005 to 2006 with the National Basketball Association. The Hornets are now known as the New Orleans Hornets.

The team originally came into existence in 1988 after the NBA wanted to expand its league by four teams. George Shinn, who was an entrepreneur in Charlotte, North Carolina, appointed Carl Scheer as the General Manager who with the help of Dick Harter, Hornet’s first head coach put the franchise together. The team was then called the Charlotte Hornets. The Charlotte Hornets were relocated to New Orleans following improper funds for the new arena and where christened as the New Orleans Hornets. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans the team temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City and were rename as New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets. The team colors were Teal, Purple and Yellow. The team played at the Ford Center Arena.

In 2005, after the relocation, the Hornets were a huge attraction in Oklahoma. The team finished in the forth position with 38 wins and 44 losses. That year Chris Paul won the Rookie of the Year. In 2006, Chris Paul was injured and the hornets struggled to finish with 39 wins and 43 losses. In 2007, the Hornets decided to return to New Orleans who were the hosts of the 2008 NBA All Star Game and once again became the New Orleans Hornets.

In a total of 164 games the team played in Oklahoma as the New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets, they won 77 games and lost 87 games.