2008 Charlotte Bobcats

Despite the retooling of the Charlotte Bobcats in between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, they placed fourth in the Southeast Division yet again. Though the team is only entering its fifth year in the NBA, they have thus far failed to win the division or make it to the playoffs, and co-owner Michael Jordan decided that a year was enough for head coach Sam Vincent, who was fired and replaced with Larry Brown. Jordan must have been pretty confident that Vincent was the problem, because not much else changed for the Bobcats in the offseason. He may be on to something, because the Bobcats have plenty of talent on the roster, like Gerald Wallace, Sean May and Emeka Okafor. If Brown can get the most out of them, while avoiding playing them too hard and causing injuries, then he might just be able to make the Bobcats into a winning team. With only 5 players over the age of 25, the Bobcats are a young team, and with veteran Larry Brown at the helm, they are poised to make the 2008-09 season a winning one. Get your tickets to Time Warner Cable Arena and catch this exciting young team in action!

In December 2002, the NBA Expansion Committee decided that the NBA Board of Governors should approve an expansion franchise team for the city of Charlotte. This, of course, was anticipated by the basketball community in Charlotte, who felt cheated when their Charlotte Hornets became the New Orleans Hornets after the 2001 season.

Then, in January 2003, the NBA Board of Governors agreed to grant the city of Charlotte a much-needed NBA team in basketball country. Soon after that, Robert L. Johnson took over ownership of the NBA Charlotte Franchise as well as the WNBA Charlotte Sting, and several days before that, Ed Tapscott was hired on as executive vice president and chief operating officer. In October 2003, Bernie Bickerstaff was named the head coach and general manger for the Charlotte Bobcats.

Bernie Bickerstaff had been around the sport of basketball for twenty-nine years before joining the Bobcats. He spent twelve years as an assistant head coach, another ten years as a head coach, and seven years as a general manager/president. Fourteen of his years were invested in the NBA, where he spent time with Seattle ('86-'90), Denver ('94-'97), and Washington ('97-'99).

With everything beginning to take shape, from head coach to the new home of the Bobcats, the Charlotte Bobcats Arena, the time came for the expansion draft. Time had also come for the NBA draft, as well as free agency. It was through these that the Charlotte Bobcats found their starting five, which included Jason Hart as guard, Gerald Wallace as forward, Tamar Slay as small forward/guard, second overall draft pick Emeka Okafor as power forward, and as center, standing 7'1', is Primoz Brezec. The Charlotte Bobcats had everything set in place and a new home in the Southeastern Division.