Charlotte Hornets Trivia
Charlotte Hornets trivia explores the history of Charlotteās NBA team, which competes in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. From the franchiseās original launch in 1988 to the return of the Hornets name in 2014, the teamās story offers plenty of memorable facts for casual fans and devoted followers alike.

Easy Charlotte Hornets Trivia
13 questions
These easy Charlotte Hornets trivia questions are great for beginners and kids around age 12 and under.
Question 1
Which state is home to the Charlotte Hornets?
- A.Virginia
- B.Georgia
- C.North Carolina
- D.South Carolina
Answer: North Carolina
The Charlotte Hornets are based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Question 2
What league do the Charlotte Hornets play in?
- A.MLB
- B.NBA
- C.WNBA
- D.NFL
Answer: National Basketball Association
The Hornets play in the National Basketball Association.
Question 3
The Charlotte Hornets compete in which conference?
- A.Central Conference
- B.Eastern Conference
- C.Western Conference
- D.Atlantic Conference
Answer: Eastern Conference
Charlotte competes in the Eastern Conference.
Question 4
Which NBA division are the Hornets part of?
- A.Atlantic Division
- B.Central Division
- C.Southwest Division
- D.Southeast Division
Answer: Southeast Division
Charlotte is a member of the Southeast Division.
Question 5
What is the name of the Hornets' home arena?
- A.Bank of America Stadium
- B.Spectrum Center
- C.Time Warner Arena
- D.Charlotte Coliseum
Answer: Spectrum Center
The Hornets play their home games at Spectrum Center.
Question 6
In what year did the Charlotte Hornets first begin play?
- A.1988
- B.1985
- C.1992
- D.2001
Answer: 1988
The franchise first began play in 1988.
Question 7
What two primary colors are most associated with the Hornets?
- A.red and black
- B.blue and gold
- C.green and white
- D.teal and purple
Answer: teal and purple
The Hornets' primary colors include teal and purple.
Question 8
What is the name of the Charlotte Hornets mascot?
- A.Harvey
- B.Hugo
- C.Buzz
- D.Sting
Answer: Hugo
The team's mascot is named Hugo.
Question 9
Before returning to the Hornets name, Charlotte's NBA team was known as what?
- A.Panthers
- B.Swarm
- C.Bobcats
- D.Cougars
Answer: Bobcats
Charlotte's NBA team was called the Bobcats before becoming the Hornets again in 2014.
Question 10
What kind of team are the Charlotte Hornets?
- A.An American college basketball team
- B.An American professional football team
- C.American professional basketball team
- D.A Canadian professional basketball team
Answer: An American professional basketball team
The Hornets are an American professional basketball team.
Question 11
What city name appears in the franchise's official name?
- A.Charlotte
- B.Raleigh
- C.Greensboro
- D.Columbia
Answer: Charlotte
The franchise's city name is Charlotte.
Question 12
Fans usually shorten the team's league to what three-letter abbreviation?
- A.NBA
- B.NFL
- C.MLB
- D.NHL
Answer: NBA
Charlotte's league is commonly abbreviated NBA.
Question 13
In what year did Charlotte restore the Hornets name for the 2014-15 season?
- A.2012
- B.2013
- C.2015
- D.2014
Answer: 2014
The team restored the Hornets name for the 2014-15 season in 2014.
Charlotte Hornets Family Trivia
12 questions
These family Charlotte Hornets trivia questions are built for mixed-age game nights, classrooms, and groups.
Question 1
Which player did the Hornets pick in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft?
- A.Kemba Walker
- B.Baron Davis
- C.Dell Curry
- D.Larry Johnson
Answer: Dell Curry
The Hornets selected Dell Curry in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft.
Question 2
Who was Charlotte's point guard known for being 5 feet 3 inches tall?
Answer: Muggsy Bogues
Muggsy Bogues played point guard for the Hornets and stood 5 feet 3 inches tall.
Question 3
Which Hornets player won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1992?
Answer: Larry Johnson
Larry Johnson won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 1992 with Charlotte.
Question 4
Charlotte used the No. 2 overall pick in 1992 on which player?
Answer: Alonzo Mourning
Alonzo Mourning was drafted by Charlotte with the No. 2 overall pick in 1992.
Question 5
Who became the Hornets' all-time leading scorer during his Charlotte years?
- A.Glen Rice
- B.Kemba Walker
- C.Dell Curry
Answer: Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker became the Hornets' all-time leading scorer during his Charlotte tenure.
Question 6
Which Hornets guard won NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season?
Answer: LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball won NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season.
Question 7
What kind of character is the Hornets' mascot, Hugo?
Answer: A hornet character
The Hornets' mascot Hugo is a hornet character.
Question 8
In what year did the Hornets win their first-ever playoff series?
Answer: 1993
The Hornets won their first-ever playoff series in 1993.
Question 9
Which team did Charlotte beat in the first round of the 1993 playoffs?
- A.Boston Celtics
- B.Chicago Bulls
- C.New York Knicks
- D.Miami Heat
Answer: Boston Celtics
Charlotte defeated the Boston Celtics in the 1993 first round.
Question 10
True or false: Charlotte played as the Bobcats starting in 2004.?
Answer: True
The team played is the Charlotte Bobcats from 2004 to 2014.
Question 11
What design pattern has appeared in parts of the Hornets' branding and court style?
Answer: Honeycomb design
The Hornets have used a honeycomb design in parts of their branding and court style.
Question 12
The Hornets' original franchise colors became especially popular during which time period?
Answer: The late 1980s and early 1990s
Charlotte's original Hornets franchise colors became especially popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Fun Charlotte Hornets Trivia
13 questions
These fun Charlotte Hornets trivia questions highlight surprising moments and playful facts for game-night groups.
Question 1
How many games did the Hornets win in 1989-90 to set an NBA expansion-team record?
Answer: 41 games
Charlotte won 41 games in the 1989-90 season, setting an NBA expansion-team record.
Question 2
For how long did Charlotte sit atop the NBA in attendance right out of the gate?
Answer: Its first seven seasons
The Hornets led the NBA in attendance in each of their first seven seasons.
Question 3
What building hosted the original Hornets' home games from 1988 to 2002?
Answer: Charlotte Coliseum
From 1988 through 2002, the original Hornets played at the Charlotte Coliseum.
Question 4
When Charlotte's current downtown arena opened in 2005, what was its original name?
Answer: Charlotte Bobcats Arena
The current downtown arena opened in 2005 is Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Question 5
Before it became Spectrum Center, what name did Charlotte's downtown arena use?
Answer: Time Warner Cable Arena
The arena was later known is Time Warner Cable Arena before becoming Spectrum Center.
Question 6
Which future superstar did Charlotte draft 13th overall in 1996 before sending him to the Lakers?
Answer: Kobe Bryant
The Hornets selected Kobe Bryant with the 13th pick in 1996 and then traded him to the Lakers.
Question 7
Who came to Charlotte in the 1996 trade that involved Kobe Bryant?
Answer: Vlade Divac
Charlotte received center Vlade Divac in the trade involving Kobe Bryant.
Question 8
Who was the very first player ever selected by the Hornets in 1988?
Answer: Rex Chapman
Rex Chapman was Charlotte's first-ever draft pick in 1988.
Question 9
On what date did the Hornets play their first regular-season game?
Answer: November 4, 1988
Charlotte's first regular-season game was played on November 4, 1988.
Question 10
Which team did Charlotte beat for its first regular-season win?
Answer: The Clippers
The Hornets' first regular-season win came against the Clippers on November 8, 1988.
Question 11
How many games did the Hornets win in 1997, setting a franchise high at that time?
Answer: 54 games
In 1997, Charlotte won 54 games, the most in franchise history at that point.
Question 12
In the 1996-97 season, which division did Charlotte finish second in?
Answer: The Central Division
The 1996-97 Hornets finished second in the Eastern Conference's Central Division.
Question 13
True or false: the lockout-shortened Hornets season was 1996-97.?
Answer: False
1996-97 was not the lockout-shortened season; that was 1998-99.
Funny Charlotte Hornets Trivia
13 questions
These funny Charlotte Hornets trivia questions highlight playful moments, odd facts, and inside jokes.
Question 1
What is the mascot Hugo's full name, in case you want to address him formally at the hive?
Answer: Hugo the Hornet
The mascot Hugo is short for Hugo the Hornet.
Question 2
Charlotte's 'Hornets' nickname traces back to what Revolutionary War-era phrase?
Answer: the hornet's nest of rebellion
The name 'Hornets' references Charlotte's Revolutionary War-era nickname, 'the hornet's nest of rebellion.'.
Question 3
How tall was Muggsy Bogues, the Charlotte star who made everyone else look like they were standing on ladders?
Answer: 5 feet 3 inches
Muggsy Bogues remains the shortest player in NBA history at 5 feet 3 inches, and he starred for Charlotte.
Question 4
Which piece of Hornets fashion turned the 1990s into one long teal runway?
Answer: teal starter jackets
The teal starter jackets associated with the Hornets became a major fashion trend in the 1990s.
Question 5
Hugo temporarily vanished when Charlotte entered what team-name chapter?
Answer: Bobcats era
Charlotte's mascot once disappeared with the team name when the Bobcats era began, then returned when the Hornets name came back.
Question 6
The Bobcats name was chosen partly because owner Robert Johnson was often nicknamed what?
- A.B.J.
- B.Bob
- C.RJ
- D.Robbie
Answer: Bob
The Bobcats name was chosen in part because owner Robert Johnson was often nicknamed 'Bob.'.
Question 7
Who gets credit for helping inspire Charlotte's original NBA nickname: an angry British general, not a focus group with insect enthusiasm?
Answer: General Cornwallis
Charlotte's original NBA nickname came from angry British General Cornwallis, not from an insect-loving marketing team.
Question 8
Which year is associated with a key milestone for Charlotte Hornets?
Answer: Hornets to Bobcats to Hornets
The franchise went from Hornets to Bobcats to Hornets, making it one of the NBA's more unusual naming loops.
Question 9
What crowd-pleasing stunt is Hugo the Hornet known for during games?
Answer: trampoline dunks
Hugo the Hornet is known for trampoline dunks during game entertainment.
Question 10
True or false: Hornets gear got so stylish that plenty of people wore it without even following the team.?
Answer: True
Charlotte's brightly colored gear was so popular that many people wore Hornets apparel without following the team.
Question 11
The Hornets nickname refers to what kind of creature, even if the branding usually looks more runway than raid?
Answer: a stinging insect
The team nickname refers to a stinging insect, but Charlotte's branding has long leaned more stylish than scary.
Question 12
When Charlotte got the Hornets name back, what else came back with it besides the buzz?
Answer: old records and history
When Charlotte got the Hornets name back, even the old records and history returned to the city.
Question 13
What was the Bobcats' record in the 2011-12 season that ended with the worst winning percentage in NBA history?
Answer: 7-59
The franchise's 7-59 record in 2011-12 gave the Bobcats the worst winning percentage in NBA history for a season.
Hard Charlotte Hornets Trivia
14 questions
These hard Charlotte Hornets trivia questions are for expert fans who want a real challenge.
Question 1
On what exact date did the NBA award Charlotte its original expansion franchise?
Answer: April 5, 1987
Charlotte received its original NBA expansion franchise on April 5, 1987.
Question 2
Which principal owner was in charge of the original Charlotte Hornets franchise?
Answer: George Shinn
George Shinn was the principal owner of the original Charlotte Hornets franchise.
Question 3
Who was the very first head coach in Hornets franchise history?
Answer: Allan Bristow
Allan Bristow served is the Hornets' first head coach.
Question 4
After the 2001-02 season, to which city did the original Hornets relocate?
Answer: New Orleans
The original Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans after the 2001-02 season.
Question 5
What year did the NBA grant Charlotte the new expansion team that would later begin play as the Bobcats?
Answer: 2003
Charlotte was granted a new expansion team in 2003, before play began is the Bobcats in 2004.
Question 6
In the 2004 NBA draft, the Bobcats took Emeka Okafor at what overall position?
Answer: Second overall
Charlotte selected Emeka Okafor second overall in the 2004 NBA draft.
Question 7
Who became the Bobcats' majority owner in 2010?
Answer: Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan became the Bobcats' majority owner in 2010.
Question 8
Which coach was on the sideline when the Bobcats reached the playoffs for the first time in 2010?
Answer: Larry Brown
The Bobcats' first playoff appearance came in 2010 under coach Larry Brown.
Question 9
In what year did the franchise officially announce its return to the Hornets name?
Answer: 2013
The team officially announced its return to the Hornets name in 2013.
Question 10
After the records transfer, New Orleans kept franchise records only from what year forward?
Answer: 2002
Following the history transfer, the New Orleans franchise retained records only from 2002 onward.
Question 11
Charlotte used the first overall pick in 1991 on which player?
Answer: Larry Johnson
The Hornets drafted Larry Johnson first overall in the 1991 NBA draft.
Question 12
Which player did the Hornets select with the fifth pick in the 1990 NBA draft?
Answer: Kendall Gill
Charlotte selected Kendall Gill with the fifth pick in the 1990 draft.
Question 13
In 2000, Charlotte traded for which former Lakers All-Star?
Answer: Eddie Jones
The Hornets traded for Eddie Jones in 2000 after his All-Star years with the Lakers.
Question 14
The 44-win Hornets team that pushed Miami to seven games in the first round belonged to which season marker year?
Answer: 2015
The Hornets finished 44-38 in 2015-16, and the answer anchor for that season marker is 2015.
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