Charlotte Bobcats Looking To Change Name To Hornets

April 17, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats guard Kemba Walker (15) drives to the basket as he is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Bobcats win 105-98. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

CBSSports.com has reported that the Charlotte Bobcats have started the process of changing their name back to the Charlotte Hornets.  While there is no timetable for how long the process will take, NBA commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver has said that the name change would take 18 months.

The Charlotte franchise started as the Hornets in 1988 through 2002 when the franchise moved to New Orleans.  The Bobcats franchise began its expansion season in 2004 and has made only one playoff appearance in nine seasons.  Owner Michael Jordan said in February that the franchise was conducting research to see how fans would react about reverting back to the original name.

It sure would be interesting to see if this goes through.  The Hornets logos and jerseys became highly fashionable in the early 1990’s.  Not only was the mix of teal, purple, and white unique, but the Hornets were one of the first teams to have pinstripes on their jerseys, which started a fashion trend that other NBA teams would use.

The Bobcats at this point have a solid bunch of young talent, but it seems like we’ve said that about them year after year.  The name change can cause for a lot of excitement in a franchise that has been relatively doormat since the days of Baron Davis, David Wesley, and Jamal Mashburn in the early 2000s.