Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets announced they fired radio broadcaster John Focke after he tweeted the N-word during an NBA playoff game between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz. 

The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell reported Focke used the racist slur in place of Denver's nickname in a since-deleted tweet. Focke issued an apology at the time, calling it a "horrific error":

https://twitter.com/JWFOCKE/status/1295538617323003904

He denied in an interview with the Observer's Scott Fowler that his phone's autocorrect was to blame:

"I was trying to get it done as fast as I could, so that it was relevant by the time I posted it. I tried to type it and obviously I mistyped the word 'Nuggets.' And I did not reread it — which, as you know, that's rule No. 1 of working in the media. And unfortunately, I didn't, because I was trying to get it up as fast as possible. And I hit 'Send.'"

Focke joined the Hornets in April 2019. He had previously worked with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx on WNBA games. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve issued a statement supporting him:

https://twitter.com/LynxCoachReeve/status/1295883851961597955

Focke had been suspended indefinitely by the Hornets while they investigated the matter.

The Charlotte Hornets revealed new uniforms for the 2020-21 season Monday:

🔥 Double pinstripes are BACK! 🔥https://t.co/VhNF0emDvc | @LendingTree pic.twitter.com/EGc7zeaSUI

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) August 31, 2020

The team had previously discussed the double-pinstripe jerseys, part of the Association edition and Icon edition uniforms for home and away games, in a recent video recapping the franchise's famous uniforms:

Among the other changes in the uniforms are the silhouette logo of a hornet added to the shorts on both sides. It's part of the Association edition and Icon edition uniforms for home and away games.

The team will hope these adjustments can help usher in a new era after four straight losing seasons, including a 23-42 record in 2019-20. 

The Charlotte Hornets announced they suspended radio broadcaster John Focke indefinitely after he posted a tweet that included the N-word.

According to the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell, Focke was commenting on the Denver Nuggets' 135-125 overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Monday when he wrote the N-word in place of Nuggets.

Focke issued a statement Monday to say he "made a horrific error while attempting to tweet about the Denver-Utah game."

https://twitter.com/JWFOCKE/status/1295538617323003904

He declined to comment further when Bonnell reached out.

The Hornets hired Focke in April 2019 to serve as their radio play-by-play announcer. He had previously called games for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.

A pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 High sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during a 1985 exhibition game in Italy sold for a record-setting $615,000 in a Christie's auction Thursday.

CNN's Rory Sullivan reported nine MJ collectibles sold for a combined $931,875 at the conclusion of a two-week bidding period, with the shoes making up a majority of that total.

"It is the top price achieved for sneakers at auction," a Christie's spokesperson said.

There’s a new record for a Michael Jordan game-used pair — $615,000. @ChristiesInc has sold a signed Air Jordan I pair worn by MJ in 1985 in Italy, where he shattered a backboard. The sole has a glass shard still in it. Beats $540K pair sold by @Sothebys earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/Cv0mXcwaha

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 14, 2020

The item attracted added attention because the left shoe contains a shard of glass from when Jordan shattered the backboard with a dunk during the game, per Sullivan.

Jordan memorabilia prices have skyrocketed since ESPN aired the 10-part documentary The Last Dance in April and May, which helped provide a new generation with a closer look at arguably the greatest basketball player in history.

The previous record for a pair of sneakers was $560,000, a mark set in May for another pair of game-worn, autographed MJ shoes sported during his rookie season in the NBA.

Jordan, who was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, won six NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals during his playing career. His extensive list of accolades also includes five MVP trophies and 14 All-Star Game appearances.

The 57-year-old New York City native owns the Charlotte Hornets.

A 1996 Mercedes Benz S600 Lorinser formerly owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan is expected to go for roughly $100,000 at auction.

According to TMZ Sports, Jordan sold the car years ago, but it was recently acquired by the Beverly Hills Car Club. The BHCC listed the car on eBay with a starting bid of $23 as an homage to MJ, but it believes the vehicle will be sold for a sum close to $100,000 in the end.

The navy blue car, which has 157,000 miles on it, was featured on ESPN's The Last Dance docuseries earlier this summer as well, and that only stands to increase its value on the open market.

Michael Jordan’s 1996 Mercedes Benz S600 Lorinser is now for sale. It appeared in the 10-part documentary ‘The Last Dance’ And has been a part of Michael’s collection for years. The car is finished in green black metallic and features a custom exhaust. #MichaelJordan #S600 pic.twitter.com/F06CmeA1d3

— AM MEDIA (@ammediany) August 12, 2020

Jordan memorabilia has always been a hot seller because of his status as arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, but there has been renewed interest in His Airness after The Last Dance, which chronicled his final season with the Chicago Bulls.

The six-time NBA champion also won six NBA Finals MVP awards, five NBA MVP awards and 10 scoring titles, all during his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

He is a cultural icon not only for what he accomplished on the court but also for his success off it, including his highly sought after Jordan Brand sneakers and apparel.

Jordan has managed to captivate multiple generations of basketball fans, meaning there is a wide potential base of bidders for his Mercedes.

Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand announced its first partnerships for the $100 million pledge to fight systemic racism in the United States on Wednesday.

Jordan Brand will donate $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and the Formerly Incarcerated & Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM) and $500,000 to Black Voters Matter.

The announcement included a statement from that Jordan that read:

"I’m all in with Jordan Brand, the Jordan family and our partners, who share a commitment to address the historical inequality that continues to plague Black communities in the U.S. There is a long history of oppression against Black Americans that holds us back from full participation in American society. We understand that one of the main ways we can change systemic racism is at the polls. We know it will take time for us to create the change we want to see, but we are working quickly to take action for the Black community’s voice to be heard."

Black Voters Matter works to increase ballot access, restore voting rights to people who were previously incarcerated and increase voter awareness in the Black community. 

The FICPFM works with people who were previously incarcerated to help restore their voting rights, get them re-acclimated into society and work within the community to reduce stigma against former felons.

Founded by Thurgood Marshall, the LDF "employs litigation, advocacy and public education to advance its mission to achieve racial justice, equality and an inclusive society."

Jordan and the Jordan Brand are set to donate $100 million to social justice causes over the next 10 years.

Like many in the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets spent much of the spring not playing basketball, but soaking in their past while watching The Last Dance, the 10-part docuseries that captured part of the heyday of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls.

Most of these Hornets had yet to dribble a basketball by the time Jordan rose over a sliding Bryon Russell to secure his sixth and final championship in 1998. The series, and the conversations around it, offered fresh insights into a man who helped shape the current league. And for the Hornets, it was a window into the mind of the man who signs their checks.

"I wasn't able to really watch him," Charlotte's second-year guard Devonte' Graham said. "I hear all the stories, and you see the films and the clips and things like that, but you actually watched The Last Dance, it kind of put it in perspective to why he is who he is and the way he played and the way he led and carried himself, why—to me, [he's] the greatest player—he's considered to be one of the greatest players ever."

Terry Rozier, Graham's backcourt mate, also said he gained a deeper appreciation for the team's owner over the last few weeks.

"Just actually seeing this documentary, I learned so much," he said. "I didn't even know that they won three straight [championships two times]. I'm just being honest. ... To do things like that in this league, you have to be super special.

"You think you have an idea of [his mentality], but when you see this documentary, it kind of gives you chills. Me to be playing for him, the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, is super huge to me because I take that as he likes my competitive drive. He sees something in me. So ... I just want to keep getting better."

After the series concluded, Jordan held a videoconference with his youthful roster to discuss the documentary and his mentality as a player. He expanded on a competitiveness that alternately drove and alienated his teammates.

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30 teams, 30 days: The biggest story from each NBA team ahead of the league's return.

Atl | Bos | Bkn | Cha | Chi | Cle
Dal | Den | Det | GS | Hou | Ind
LAC | LAL | Mem | Mia | Mil | Min
NO | NY | OKC | Orl | Phi | Pho
Por | Sac | SA | Tor | Uta | Was

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"I think my biggest thing that I [gained] is trying to be that more vocal leader, not calling people out [by] their names and stuff like that, but actually getting on guys, being comfortable getting on guys," Graham said. 

"That's going to make your guys even better, your bond better, your team stronger. It's more of a respect level instead of not saying anything and just letting guys mess up over and over and over again, you're losing and losing."

Embracing those types of difficult conversations, of course, is a fine line to walk that, as the series depicted, Jordan himself did not always navigate with care.

"We probably would've fought a couple times," Rozier said when asked how he would've taken Jordan's criticism as a teammate. "I would've taken the Steve Kerr route. [Kerr punched Jordan when a practice became particularly heated in 1995.] I'm super competitive. I would have known what he's saying is right. Maybe, it's just the way he's saying it. If it was in a crazy way, then tone it down, because I'm right here with you. Some guys are just different. Some guys you can really push to that point and some guys you just can't."

Of the current Hornets, only Rozier, Nicolas Batum, Bismack Biyombo and Cody Zeller played on teams that advanced to the playoffs. None of them are going this year, though, after the NBA's return concept prematurely ended the Hornets' season, along with seven other lottery-bound teams. For Zeller, the opportunity to pick Jordan's brain about his career was also an opportunity to consider the razor-thin margins that often separate a win from a loss.

"That was my question to him—about the difference between winning and losing, the room for error." Zeller said. "A lot of times, it was a game-winner by MJ, but it did come down to one shot or a jump ball with five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

"For our team, [it] is a younger team, and a lot of guys haven't played in the playoffs or don't understand the attention to detail that you have to play with in the playoffs. ... [T]hat was kind of what I enjoyed hearing from MJ, and I think it was great for our team, especially as a younger team, to hear that."

Perhaps most revealing, however, were Jordan's views on his post-Bulls tenure with the Washington Wizards, for whom he briefly came out of retirement in 2001 for two injury-riddled seasons.

"He [said he] wishes that he would've done that a little bit differently, in that the next generation of players to come in, they really didn't want to hear the same feedback and kind of harshness that he used in Chicago. He wishes that he would've kind of taken Jerry Stackhouse under his wing and taught him how to be a better leader as opposed to try to do it all himself. He even mentioned that about today's generation was a lot different and might not want to hear the same feedback or criticism that he used to give."

For now, the Hornets are waiting to implement any lessons learned. The league has yet to determine when the teams not heading to Orlando, Florida, in late July will be allowed to gather again as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was definitely disappointed," Graham said of a season that ended with Charlotte at 23-42. "Definitely confused on how they took so many teams from the other side and only one team from the East. Like coach [James Borrego] said: You can't dwell on it. You can't cry about it. It is what it is.' We just got to take that and use it as motivation. Get better. Get stronger. Get faster. I got more time to work on my game. Just take it and use it as a motivation, like MJ did everything in The Last Dance documentary."

The Spring of MJ has offered a time to reflect—not only for his team, but also for Jordan himself, who was removed from political and social issues during his playing days. (In 2016, though, he said he would "no longer stay silent.")

This month, Jordan announced he and Jordan Brand would donate $100 million to social justice and racial equality causes over the next decade, following the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many others.

"We have been beaten down [as African Americans] for so many years," Jordan told the Charlotte Observer. "It sucks your soul. You can't accept it anymore. This is a tipping point. We need to make a stand. We've got to be better as a society regarding race."

Rozier, who recently participated in a protest in Charlotte with some of his teammates, welcomed the contribution.

"I just feel like what he said in his statement, we as African Americans have had enough," Rozier said. "I feel like he's always been there to donate and help with his piece. He's not a social media guy, which I love about Michael Jordan. He leaves his mark when he can, which is every time. I respect it. If you got it, give it up—$100 million is a lot of money."

           

Jonathan Abrams is a senior writer for B/R Mag. A former staff writer at Grantland and sports reporter at the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Abrams is also the bestselling author of All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of The Wire—available right here, right now. Follow him on Twitter, @jpdabrams.

Anyone who watched The Last Dance documentary knows Michael Jordan had no problem calling out his teammates while dominating the NBA with the Chicago Bulls.

The principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets reportedly discussed the concept of leadership and doing just that with his team following the conclusion of the documentary.

Devonte' Graham revealed as much to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, noting Jordan spoke to players on a Zoom call.

"How you have to be comfortable calling your teammates out," Graham said His Airness stressed to them. "That's going to make you guys even better, you bond better, your team stronger. More of a respect level instead of not saying anything and letting guys mess up over and over and over."

Jordan let his teammates know when they messed up. Whether it was punching Steve Kerr in the face during a practice, relentlessly riding Scott Burrell or yelling at his teammates on the court, he was one of the most intense players in NBA history.

While it surely wore on some players, the result was six championships and a legacy as arguably the greatest player in league history. It was also a run of success that stands in stark contrast to the current iteration of the Hornets.

Charlotte has not won a playoff series since the franchise restarted in 2004-05 as the Bobcats. It is just 23-42 this season and was not invited to Orlando, Florida, for the league's 22-team restart format.

Young players such as Graham and Miles Bridges provide reason for optimism, but the Hornets have languished in recent years.

Jordan recently showed leadership off the court when he and Jordan Brand announced a $100 million donation with the goal of "ensuring racial equality, social justice and greater access to education."

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges is really tempting fate. 

Michael Jordan told French newspaper L'Equipe in 2015 he thought he could beat any member of the Hornets in a game of one-on-one. The comment made the rounds again as ESPN aired The Last Dance, and it caught the attention of Bridges.

Let’s get it then https://t.co/7MbAOAFhSL

— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) May 17, 2020

The 22-year-old waded into the conversation again Thursday, saying, "I think I could beat him," per the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell.

Anybody who has played at a local gym can attest to how aging ballers can be tricky because their craftiness is almost always inversely proportional to their physical skills. Now imagine going up against Jordan in his 50s. He probably can't dunk with the same ferocity, but his fadeaway likely hasn't gone anywhere.

MJ apparently took out then-Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in one-on-one in February 2013.

Bridges' confidence probably isn't misplaced, though.

Fans didn't get to see Jordan decline too much on the court. He had led the NBA in scoring for the third straight season by the time he retired for a second time at 34. Few remember his Washington Wizards run fondly, but he still played at a relatively high level given he was 38 in his first year with the team.

Jordan didn't have a career arc like that of Vince Carter or Paul Pierce, who eventually became role players by the time they were entering their twilight period.

Because of that, nobody saw a truly diminished version of His Airness on the hardwood.

If The Last Dance taught viewers one thing, it's that Jordan cannot turn down a challenge. He's probably en route to Bridges with a basketball and directions to the nearest court as we speak.

Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum is one of many professional athletes who have joined protests against systemic racism and police brutality following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis Police custody.

I just see unity Charlotte #QueenCity pic.twitter.com/ewGUhuds91

— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) June 2, 2020

Batum spoke with reporters (h/t Aria Gerson of USA Today) on a Zoom call Wednesday and said he attended with his wife, Aurelie, in part because of their four-year-old son, Ayden:

"I'm part of our movement because I have a 4-year-old son going to school. He's mixed, he's not really white, he's dark skinned, too, so I don't want him to [face racism]. I just want to make sure I can be part of the solution for my son later."

Batum, who was born and raised in France, joined the NBA in 2008 after the Houston Rockets selected him 25th overall in the draft and traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Per Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Batum said bananas were thrown at his basketball team when he was a teenager in France. He was also called a "monkey."

Batum also said this protest was the first one he attended since doing so in France at the age of 16.

Per WBTV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, Kidz Fed Up and the NAACP's Charlotte-Mecklenburg Branch hosted the latest protest Batum attended on June 2.

"With a huge crowd including supporters, public officials, community leaders, organizers and public figures, the group united to stand against injustice in their community and all over the country," WBTV wrote.

The gathering and match featured speakers and protesters taking a knee outside police headquarters.

The Hornets have spoken out and taken action recently, with the Jordan Brand (whose namesake is team owner Michael Jordan) announcing a $100 million donation to "organizations dedicated to ensuring racial inequality, social justice and greater access to education."

Per Gerson, Hornets guard Terry Rozier and several team staff members joined the protest. Center Bismack Biyombo also expressed support for the protests and backed the Jordan Brand's donation.