"We couldn't go nowhere that we weren't rock stars" - Alonzo Mourning recalls his run with the Hornets in the early '90s
alonzo-mourning
He might be best known for his time with the Miami Heat, but Alonzo Mourning also had a remarkable run as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Zo kick-started his career in the Buzz City, where he, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues defined the greatest era of the franchise's history.
During his appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Mourning reminisced about his time with the Hornets and the amount of noise they made as one of the NBA's most talented groups.
"That was a fun team to play with. It was exciting. Muggs is the best, and when you think about the charisma that LJ had with the gold tooth and wearing the dresses of 'Grandmama' and all that stuff. You think about Muggs being the smallest player in the league and young people relating to him, and you had me as the new kid on the block. It was a match made in heaven," he recalled.
"We had the fly teal jerseys with pinstripes then we had the star jackets, the purple and teal jackets. When you think about that time, it was perfect timing for us," Zo added.
A promising chapter in Hornets' history
For years, the Hornets have been one of the league's laughing stocks. Still, there was a time when enjoyed relevance as the darlings of the NBA, thanks to Zo, LJ, and Muggs.
Topping the league's jersey sales and home game attendance, the Hornets established themselves as a team of the future. While Alonzo and Larry anchored the frontcourt with their tenacious and physical play, Muggsy handled the point with his iconic craftiness and small stature.
The Hornets showcased their talent in the 1992-93 campaign. They won 44 regular season games but lost in the second round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks.
"For us to beat Boston [Celtics] in the first round, that was huge for the city," Mourning said. "We had the highest attendance. In Carolina, that's a basketball state. So following that, we couldn't go nowhere that we weren't rock stars. Charlotte. We didn't pay for any meals everywhere we went. It was fun, it really was."
A big What-If
Unfortunately, things eventually started to crumble for the Hornets. Front office mismanagement, injuries, and internal conflicts between Zo and LJ led to an unwanted breakup, with Mourning left for Miami in 1995 and Johnson joining the Knicks in 1996.
Looking back, Zo still thinks about what could've happened if they stuck around for longer. The Hall of Famer believes the team was good enough to do something special.
"I do [think about the what if]… My first year there, we had an opportunity to make history for the franchise. That was a very talented team across the board," he concluded.
Mourning won the championship with the Heat in 2006. However, looking back on his Hall of Fame NBA run, he still regrets not staying longer in Charlotte.