Everything you need to know before the 2024-2025 Charlotte Hornets' season

State of play: The Hornets open the regular season on the road at the Houston Rockets at 8pm on Oct. 23. Then it's a trip to Atlanta to face the Hawks on Oct. 25 at 7:30pm.

• They face the Miami Heat in their home opener on Oct. 26 at 7pm at Spectrum Center. Tickets start at $18.50. Find the full schedule here.

Zoom in: The Hornets will play 82 regular season games, some of which will take place during the Emirates NBA Cup, the league's in-season tournament. It runs from Nov. 12–Dec. 17.

• Charlotte is in East Group A and will play at least four games. They play at the Orlando Magic on Nov. 12 and at the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19. They host the New York Knicks on Nov. 29 and the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 3.
• The winner of each group and two wild card teams will advance to single-elimination game knockout rounds. The championship is Dec. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
• Teams will compete for the NBA Cup and prize money.

Catch up quick: The Hornets have been busy in the offseason. They hired Charles Lee as their new head coach, Jeff Peterson as general manager and Shelly Cayette-Weston as president of business operations.

• The Hornets will break ground on their new practice facility in early 2025. It's expected to open in time for the 2026-2027 NBA season.
• Spectrum Center recently completed the first of two rounds of a major face-lift. The arena has a new bag policy.
• Shawn Parker has been named the Hornets' new PA announcer. He succeeds beloved announcer Pat Doughty, known as "Big Pat," who died in July. The Hornets will honor "Big Pat" during half-time of their home opener.
• The team drafted French forward Tidjane Salaün No. 6 overall in the first round of the NBA draft and KJ Simpson in the second round — No. 42 overall.

Free agent offseason signings: forward Moussa Diabate (two-way contract), center Taj Gibson and guard Seth Curry.

• Zoom in: Before re-signing a one-year deal with the Hornets, Curry was part of a February trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
• The deal brought Curry, a Charlotte Christian alum, and Providence Day alum forward Grant Williams home. It also included a 2027 first-round pick in exchange for forward P.J. Washington and second-round picks in 2024 and 2028.

Players acquired via trade during the offseason: guard DaQuan Jeffries from the New York Knicks via a three-team trade and guard Josh Green from the Mavericks via a six-team trade.

• And Kemba Walker came home — kind of. The Hornets legend retired from playing professionally and joined the team's coaching staff.

What we're watching: A healthy LaMelo Ball could be a game-changer for the Hornets. They're also looking for fellow guard Brandon Miller to step up during his second season.

• "Last year he went from being a guy on the scouting report to now he's one of the guys," Lee said of Miller.

Make friends

It's not a tailgate — it's a TEALgate with The Crown Club, aka Hornets fans. The Crown Club gathers at The Local (105 E. 5th St.) 90 minutes before home games. Spectrum Center is a short walk away.

• Of note: The Halloween bar crawl in Uptown coincides with the Hornets' home opener. While there won't be an official tailgate, members can use their Crown Club card to skip lines to get into The Local, according to Crown Club organizers.
• Membership: An annual adult membership is $33; $15 for ages 16 and under. It includes free food and drinks at TEALgate, discounts on things like Crown Club apparel and away trips.
• A portion of membership dues benefits Red Cross N.C.'s Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

Fit check

There are plenty of local spots to buy Hornets gear.

• The Crown Club has T-shirts, hats, hoodies and satin jackets.
• Other 'fit options: Locker Room CLT and OldNews for vintage gear and Glory Days Apparel's basketball collection for something fresh.

Go deeper: 5 things to know about Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee

Editor's note: This story was updated on Oct. 24 to include the Hornets Emirates NBA Cup court.