Charlotte (NBA) - In an NBA first, the Charlotte Hornets are born again. Following the precedent set by being the first city to regain a major league professional franchise just two years after losing one, Charlotte is now the first to reclaim its name, along with the colors they first brought into the league in 1988.

Joining in 1988, the NBA team helped brand Charlotte as a major league city and was an immediate success with 364 consecutive home games selling out from 1988 to 1997 in an arena that sat almost 24,000, leading the league in attendance for seven seasons.

As a roster grew and evolved to include players like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice and Anthony Mason with expansion draft mainstays Muggsy Bogues and Dell Curry, success came on the court as well with a first playoff series win over the Boston Celtics in 1993 and not a single losing season from then through their departure in the spring of 2002.

Unable to prevent the Hornets from moving, the NBA still wanted a team in Charlotte and announced in December 2002 that an ownership group led by BET (Black Entertainment Television) founder Bob Johnson would be awarded a new franchise for Charlotte that would take the court in 2004.

As he was the first time around, the now Commissioner Emeritus David Stern was on hand for this second opening game of the Charlotte Hornets. Asked why the league had not done more to protect the name for Charlotte, Stern answered frankly: "I would say in fairness, it was the same amount of thought that was given to keeping the Lakers name in Minneapolis and the Jazz name in New Orleans. There was no thought."

In regards to the name returning, Stern said he was "pleasantly surprised at the emotional impact it had on the community. I think it was kind of a way for them to signify that going back to a name is a new beginning."

None of this would have been possible had it not been for the desire of Tom Benson, who took over ownership of the New Orleans's NBA team from the league in April 2012, wanting something more local for his team who were rebranded as the Pelicans before last season.

"We recognize that this is what our fans want," majority owner Michael Jordan said in May 2013. "We believe that making this change would not only re-establish one of the most recognized brands in sports but would also unify our fan-base by bringing together our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have fond memories of our city's NBA predecessor."

The Hornets name has been part of the Charlotte area culture for 230 years since the Revolutionary War when British General Charles Cornwallis, frustrated by the tactics of the local militia, reportedly called the area "a veritable hornet's nest of rebellion." Many local businesses and organizations incorporate it. Previous sports teams have used it. A hornet's nest is the logo of the Charlotte Police Department.

The organization faced unprecedented challenges from the start. No city had ever regained a pro franchise so soon after losing one and the wounds from the Hornets exit were still fresh.

The Bobcats name was fine with many fans who just wanted a team that could win consistently but derided by some others who wanted to believe it was more conceit than coincidence with the name of owner Bob Johnson. Well before it even became a possibility, a small but vocal minority began a "Bring back the buzz" campaign.

With the new old name, Charlotte is second only to Cleveland, who regained a name of their own in LeBron James, in new season ticket sales and added 30 new corporate sponsors.

The Hornets promoted their opening home game of the 2014-15 season on 29 October with a commemorative Lucite-encased opening night ticket given to fans entering the arena. On the back was a passage celebrating "The Comeback", invoking phrases such as "fallen heroes recast", "loyalties tested", and "coming out of the darkness".

As if part of the promotion, the Hornets proceeded to turn a first quarter lead over the Milwaukee Bucks into a 24-point deficit with little hope of reversal. But then came the greatest on-court comeback in team history, forcing the game into overtime and then winning it on two Kemba Walker baskets.

The first sentence of that passage read: "The greatest stories in sports are the comebacks."

Only time will tell if this is one of them.

FIBA