June 1st, 2026
Remembering Rick Bonnellās Legacy
Today my focus is on someone who deserves a spotlight in the halls of Hornets History all to himself.
If there was ever a *real* Hornets Historian, it was Rick Bonnell.
Encyclopedia may even be more fitting.
The Hornets family lost the scribe of their franchise on this day five years ago, and itās something I donāt ever want the fans to forget about.
Especially as younger fans continue to pile in. Those fans may not see the Rick Bonnell media entrance, the seat on media row the Hornets still keep empty for him, or the scholarship the Hornets give out in his namesake every year.
And for those people⦠I donāt want Rickās name to fade. Because for most who knew of his work, and especially for those who knew him, it never will.
Heās not just synonymous with the Charlotte Hornets. Rick lived and breathed this team as a beat writer for the Charlotte Observer from 1988-2021.
After graduating from the prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism at Syracuse, and after advising Jim Boeheim himself about a job offer to move down to N.C.?
Boeheim told Rick he should take it, and Rick did.
Bonnell moved to Raleigh to work for the News and Observer in 1987, where he mainly covered Duke and North Carolina in the 87-88 season.
He then gave up coverage of Duke, UNC, and triangle basketball to go work for the Charlotte Observer and cover the Hornets full-time as they began offseason prep for their inaugural year.
From what Iāve read, Rick liked to remind people he didnāt cover *everything* in Charlotte Hornets history, because he wasnāt there yet in the city when the team was officially confirmed on April 5th, 1987.
But when the team walked out for its first-ever game against Cleveland in 1988, he was there. Not just there at the game, but like many others for that first-game at the Coliseum, Rick was donning a full tuxedo at the contest.
A game where Charlotte lost by 40, I may add.
But that was Rick. He had an enthusiasm for covering this sport that, let me be VERY clear:
Most sports writers do NOT have. Much less after 30 years.
He was still excited about good basketball, of which he saw very little at points during his tenure. It never stopped him from delivering A coverage of the team.
More importantly, the bad spells never diluted his love for basketball. Even in 2011-2012 when the Bobcats went 7-59, which Rickās Twitter bio reminded us that he, āsurvived with some grace and sanity.ā
He was always fair in his coverage. Even the GOAT recognized this. He is the only beat writer Iāve ever heard of who had Michael Jordanās phone number, and could USE it if he deemed it necessary to do so.
I miss listening to Rick talk and write about this team a lot. I looked up to him when I was younger, and while I canāt imagine what his family has been throughā¦
The least I can do is honor the part of Rick I did know. That was his coverage of the Hornets. It was his love for this team, good defense, and the hope he always held for Charlotte basketballās future.
I hope youāre resting in peace amongst all the late Hornetsā legends where you belong, Rick.