NBA History: The best era for each of the 30 franchises

Charlotte Hornets: 1996-02

During their first eight years of existence, the Charlotte Hornets managed middling amounts of success as an expansion franchise. They made two playoff appearances, even advancing to the conference-semis in 1993, but year No. 9 looked like the start of an organization finally getting its legs underneath them.

Charlotte would surpass the 50-win threshold in back-to-back seasons, thanks in large part to sweet-shooting Glen Rice and his 45.5 3-point percentage that helped him put up 24.5 points per game.

The Hornets even made a return to the second round in 1998 only to be stomped out in five games by the three-peat seeking Chicago Bulls.

Following a one-year postseason hiatus, the Hornets found themselves with a new roster construction that still produced similar results. Following a trade that landed him in Charlotte during the 1998-99 campaign, Eddie Jones would average 19.2 points per game in over a year’s worth of games for his latest squad, including a career-best 20.1 a night in 1999-00.

Jones would help Charlotte to two straight playoff appearances during his short stint with the team before being traded. The team would then be turned over to Jamal Mashburn and Baron Davis, two dynamic perimeter scoring threats who kept the playoff streak alive for another season.

Those six seasons were a time of constant change for the Hornets, and yet it’s also the most successful they’ve ever been. Their three straight years of playoff basketball is their longest streak to this day and they’ve yet to return to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals since their consecutive appearances in 2001 and 2002.