In a 1991 photo, Michael Zerrillo performs "The Flip Dunk" as Super Hugo during the slam dunk contest at the 1991 NBA All Star Game at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. Zerrillo performed as Hugo the Hornet for 17 years and was a 3-time NBA Mascot dunk champion. (Photo: Jeff Siner AP)
LAS VEGAS - When NBA Commissioner David Stern first started hearing the requests of Charlotte Bobcats fans that the league give them their old 'Hornets' name back, he admits he didn't take the idea seriously.
"I sort of laughed at it initially," he said. "You know, it is what it is, get over it."
But the public push, one that culminated with the name change being unanimously approved by the league's owners on Thursday, never stopped.
BUZZ IS BACK: Charlotte to become Hornets again
"It stayed there, bubbling below the surface, and there is something to it," Stern said. "I think that the team is going to receive support from fans who think that this is a step in the direction that the fans have been asking for, and this is an attempt to both satisfy the fans and its accompanied by a kind of very specific market research that allows the Hornets to say, yes, this is what the market is asking for and they're very much serving their market by making this change."
Charlotte lost its stake on the name in 2002, when the team moved to New Orleans. When the NBA returned via expansion in 2004, it did so under the Bobcats name. But because New Orleans changed its name to the Pelicans this year, the Hornets again became a possibility.
"As all of you know, the Charlotte Hornets have a very successful past," Bobcats CEO Fred Whitfield said. "They have a great brand that they built. They did a lot of things the right way. They led the NBA in attendance for their first seven years. They had several playoff appearances, numerous All-Stars and had a mascot the people in our community fell in love with.
Expansion talk
"Being a former season ticket holder of the Hornets, I understood the energy that came into that building every night. So as we look forward to the future, we're thrilled that our Bobcats fans and our Bobcat corporate sponsors that have supported us to this point will be able to connect to the old Hornets fans and have that galvanize our community around our NBA brand."
This wasn't quite the same as David Stern's last NBA Finals, or David Stern's last draft night or - coming your way five months from now - David Stern's last All-Star game and the official end of his 30-year reign as NBA Commissioner.
But if David Stern's last summer league news conference will be remembered for anything by the locals here, it's for the seed of hope he planted in their minds about the prospect of an NBA team coming their way after he's gone and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver has assumed the role.
"It seems that there's an arena (in Las Vegas) that is getting closer to moving ahead after years and years of discussions, and that should make it interesting," Stern said.
Moments later, after declining to predict whether the league might expand anytime soon by declaring that his crystal ball had already retired, Stern said, "It wouldn't surprise me if Commissioner Silver was looking at strong applications from Las Vegas and Seattle in the coming years. I'm going to enjoy watching it."
Sonics fans who were crushed by Seattle's failed attempt to bring the Kings to Sacramento surely bristled at the notion that they might not be next in line, but Silver made it clear that the league won't be growing beyond 30 teams anytime soon. Arena efforts are still moving forward in Seattle with the hopes that it will eventually house an NBA and NHL team, while in Vegas, MGM recently announced that a 20,000-seat arena that will be on the strip is expected to be completed by 2016.
HGH testing
"I have no doubt that down the road we'll return to those discussions in (Seattle) and Las Vegas and, who knows, other markets potentially as well," Silver said. "But right now, we're very focused on the health of the 30 franchises."
The NBA's goal of having a human growth hormone testing program in place before next season may not be possible because of the ongoing regime change taking place in the National Basketball Players Association. Former executive director Billy Hunter was fired by the players in February, but no replacement has yet been named.
"Right now, (the players and union officials are) a little bit hamstrung because they're searching for an executive director," Stern said. "It's more difficult to make decisions. But we're optimistic that whatever -- we have a great program. Don't get me wrong.
Instant replay expands
"We have six tests a year, all random - two are out-of-season and four in-season are authorized. We have a long list of banned substances, and we expect to have agreement on HGH whenever the union gathers because we're in this together. The union has always been very forward thinking in this...It's on a long list of items that we're hoping to discuss with the Players Association between now and the kickoff of the next season."
The league approved increased use of instant replay for next season.
"When reviewing a block/charge play to determine whether the defender was inside or outside the restricted area, officials will now be permitted to reverse a charge call, or uphold a blocking call, when the defender was outside the restricted area but was not set when the offensive player began his upward shooting motion. To determine whether an off-ball foul occurred before or after a player has started his shooting motion on a successful shot attempt, or before or after the ball was released on a throw-in. During the review of any instant replay situation to permit the officials to assess the appropriate penalties of any unsportsmanlike and unnecessary acts (e.g. flagrant fouls) that are observed during the instant replay reviews.
Per the league's release...
On clear path to the basket fouls, it will no longer be considered a clear path foul if at any point before the foul is committed, the defender who commits the foul is positioned ahead of the offensive player in the frontcourt. A team on offense will lose possession if its player leaves the floor and does not immediately return to the floor, unless he is injured, attempting to save the ball or in other extenuating circumstances."
Additional rules modifications:
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