Hornets retire Dell Curry's No. 30 jersey Thursday
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo: Doug Pensinger /Allsport
Dell Curry drove his dark blue Choo Choo Customs Chevy Blazer down from Virginia in 1988 to join the Carolinas' first major league team — the Charlotte Hornets.
Why it matters: Curry — the expansion franchise's first player — became a defining figure in Charlotte sports and will soon become just the second Hornets player with his jersey retired at Spectrum Center.
Driving the news: The Hornets will retire Curry's jersey Thursday, March 19, during halftime of their game against the Orlando Magic.
- Curry's No. 30 joins his former teammate Bobby Phills' (No. 13), who died in a car accident in 2000.
By the numbers: For Curry, the honor is the "cherry on top" of his Charlotte legacy, he tells Axios. His 10 seasons playing for the Hornets are the most in franchise history.
- He retired as the team's all-time leader in points (9,839), 3-pointers (929), field goals (3,951) and games played (701). Then another Hornets legend came along and made some of those records his own — Kemba Walker. They rank first and second in team history for points.
Between the lines: Curry wasn't a starter like his superstar son, Stephen Curry. Of his 701 games in Charlotte, he only started 77. Instead, he made his impact coming off the bench. Curry won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1994.
- He was part of some of the best Hornets teams in franchise history, including three 50-plus win seasons and four playoff appearances.
Zoom out: Curry, like many athletes whose professional careers included a stop in Charlotte, has made Charlotte his home. He joined the Hornets (then the Bobcats) as a broadcaster after retiring. His final season was with the Toronto Raptors.
- "When I left, I knew I was going to come back," he says.
- He raised his family here. His sons, Stephen and Seth Curry, would tag along to practices and games. Today, they're teammates on the Golden State Warriors.
Flashback: When 24-year-old Dell Curry arrived in Charlotte in 1988, there were two towering structures in Uptown. For someone who grew up in rural Virginia, he considered Charlotte a big city.
- The team practiced at the Grady Cole Center in Elizabeth and had to avoid running into the stage when they finished a fast break.
The big picture: It's been years since the Hornets practiced there. Today, the team's new ownership is building a standalone practice facility across from the newly renovated Spectrum Center.
- Curry is optimistic, not only about the cosmetic changes, but also about how the team is playing with under a month left in the regular season.
- They've become one of the hottest teams in the league since the calendar turned, with first-year player Kon Knueppel a serious contender for rookie of the year. The team has a shot at making the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
- As fans look toward the future, they'll also celebrate the past on Thursday when Curry's jersey is retired.
What's next: Thursday's game tips off at 7pm. Tickets start at $27.