Not a Charlotte Hornets tuxedo, unfortunately. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Back on the November 1, 1988, the Charlotte Hornets played their first basketball game. The game was a big deal in the city, as the Hornets were the first pro basketball team in North Carolina since the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. How big was the game in Charlotte? The fans got dressed up. Really dressed up.
Charlotte Magazine’s oral history of the 1988 Hornets, provides more insight into what the fans’ wore that night. Hornets’ fans treated that first game, more like a formal gala than a basketball game:
"TIM KEMPTON, a 6-10 power forward from Notre Dame: Coming out and seeing everybody in formal wear, the guys in tuxedos and the women in long dresses, it made that night so memorable.MUGGSY BOGUES: I couldn’t believe it. We thought they were cheering for Cleveland. But as they walked off and Cleveland was no longer on the court, they were just going crazy, going bananas, cheering and yelling in their tuxedos and their gowns, letting us know how they appreciate us."
With the Charlotte Bobcats now known as the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise is doing whatever they can to channel the glory days of the Hornets. For example, at their first home game, tomorrow night, fans are getting tuxedo T-shirts, a nod to that very first Hornets’ game. From the team’s website:
"All fans in attendance will receive a tuxedo-themed T-shirt, courtesy of Lowe’s, along with an encased commemorative ticket. The tuxedo theme recalls the 1988-89 Hornets season opener, when a number of fans wore tuxedos to the game in celebration of the city’s first major professional sports team. In addition, all fans will receive a “Ridiculous Rag” rally towel and glowsticks to be used during the pregame player introductions and at halftime."
Earlier today, team owner, Michael Jordan, showed what the tuxedo T-shirt would look like:
Special perks of being owner, already got my commemorative ticket and shirt for opening night. Niiiiiice #MJTakeover pic.twitter.com/R8VnZPUZd3
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 28, 2014
A tuxedo T-shirt may not be as fancy as an actual tuxedo but Hornets’ fans will still be looking nice at the team’s opener tomorrow night.