<div class="quote_poster">Quoting "NBA Burning Questions":</div><div class="quote_post">They don?t yet have a name, a uniform, a mascot or a coach, but the new NBA franchise in Charlotte -? which will begin play in the fall of 2004 -- is starting to take shape. Owner Robert Johnson, who beat out Larry Bird for the right to pay $300 million for the NBA?s 30th franchise, has hired former Knicks GM Ed Tapscott to run the basketball operations. Meanwhile, the city is building a new $265 million arena uptown that's set to open in the fall of ?05. Tapscott?s first big job will be to hire a GM, something he says he plans to do this summer. While speculation has risen that Michael Jordan ?- a friend of Johnson?s ?- might be interested in returning to his Carolina roots, it seems unlikely for now. MJ has repeatedly said he intends to return to the Wizards front office next season. Either way, Tapscott says his GM will conduct a coaching search that could last until the spring of ?04. John Lucas, Nate McMillan and Bernie Bickerstaff each have been mentioned as possible coaching candidates. The Charlotte franchise will select 14 players in a dispersal draft in June 2004, with each established NBA team able to protect eight players. Charlotte will also get the No. 4 selection in the ?04 Draft. Unlike the Canadian expansion teams in ?95, which were barred from receiving the No. 1 pick in their first three drafts, Charlotte will face no such restrictions. It will be eligible for the No. 1 pick in ?05. As for the team?s nickname, an official announcement has been pushed back to June. Johnson will make the final decision, but he is accepting suggestions from fans. Over 2,000 submissions already have been made to a web site for the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission, with the most popular choices being the Cougars, the Royals, the Bankers and, yes, the Hornets. </div>
i cringed when i saw that. I wonder how they plan to get the hornets name back. and if they do what would be the name of the team in New Oreleans
