1992–93 Charlotte Hornets season


The 1992–93 NBA season was the fifth season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Hornets selected center Alonzo Mourning out of Georgetown with the second overall pick. With the addition of Mourning, along with second-year star Larry Johnson and Muggsy Bogues, the Hornets struggled around.500 for most of the season, but won 9 of their final 12 games finishing their season third in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and qualified for their first ever playoff appearance. The team became the first of the four expansion franchises of the late 1980s to win a playoff series, when Mourning sunk a jumper at the buzzer in Game 4 of the first round playoff series against the 4th-seeded Boston Celtics. However, in the semifinals, the Hornets were eliminated by the New York Knicks in five games.
The Hornets led the NBA in attendance for the fourth time in five seasons. Johnson averaged 22.1 points, 10.5 rebounds per game and was selected for the 1993 NBA All-Star Game. Mourning was named to the All-Rookie First Team averaging 21.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game. Following the season, Kendall Gill was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Offseason

NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege
12Alonzo MourningCGeorgetown
235Tony BennettPGWisconsin–Green Bay

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

Playoffs

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and Records

Signed LaMark Baker as a free agent.
Signed Lorenzo Williams as a free agent.
Elliot Perry signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Waived LaMark Baker.
Waived Lorenzo Williams.
Signed David Wingate as a free agent.
Traded J.R. Reid to the San Antonio Spurs for Sidney Green, a 1993 1st round draft pick and a 1996 2nd round draft pick.
Waived Tom Hammonds.