Bobcat or Hornet? Who lives in Charlotte? The original Hornets franchise was established in 1988 but in 2002, relocated to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. In 2004 a new NBA franchise was established in Charlotte called the Bobcats. In 2013, the New Orleans franchise announced it would rebrand itself the New Orleans Pelicans and thereby return the Hornets name, records, and official history (1988–2002) to Charlotte. The Bobcats were renamed the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 NBA season. For a wide range of merchandise and memorabilia including autographed items, jewelry, mounted memories and clothing Visit our Amazon NBA Basketball Store