Charlotte Hornets Finally Give Dell Curry His Flowers: No. 30 Headed to the Rafters
If you look up at the ceiling of the Spectrum Center during a Charlotte Hornets game, it’s usually a pretty lonely view. For years, the only jersey hanging there belonged to the late, great Bobby Phills. It was a solemn, solitary reminder of a franchise that has, frankly, struggled to embrace its own history while trying to forget a lot of its mediocre present.
But finally, the front office is getting it right.
Sources confirmed to ESPN that the Charlotte Hornets are officially retiring Dell Curry’s No. 30 jersey. The ceremony is set for March 19 against the Orlando Magic. And honestly? It’s about time. It only took them, what, a couple of decades? Better late than never, I suppose.
The Original Curry Chef
For a generation of younger fans, Dell Curry is mostly known as the guy in the headset next to Eric Collins, calmly analyzing the game while Collins screams about a dunk like he just witnessed a crime. Or, even more likely, he’s known simply as “Steph and Seth’s dad.”
But before he was the patriarch of the NBA’s royal shooting family, Dell was an absolute problem on the court.
He spent 10 seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, from 1988 to 1998. If you were around for the teal-and-purple craze of the 90s—when Starter jackets were currency and the Hornets were actually the coolest team on the planet—you know Dell was the heartbeat of that squad. While Grandmama and Zo were grabbing the headlines and Muggsy was grabbing hearts, Dell was coming off the bench to ruin the opposition’s night.
He wasn’t just a role player; he was a weapon. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 1994 and remains the franchise’s second-leading scorer with 9,839 points. He didn’t need 40 minutes to hurt you; he just needed a sliver of daylight.
New Ownership Making Smart Moves
Let’s be real for a second: The Charlotte Hornets haven’t exactly been a model of organizational competence over the last… well, let’s just say “a while.” But the new owners, Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, seem to understand something that the previous regime (sorry, MJ) often missed: Culture matters. History matters.
Retiring No. 30 isn’t just a nice gesture; it’s a signal. It’s the new brass saying, “Hey, we know this team has a soul, and we’re going to honor it.”
Schnall and Plotkin have been busy since taking over in 2023. They’ve brought in Jeff Peterson to run basketball ops, hired Charles Lee as coach, and are finally building a state-of-the-art practice facility. You know, things that normal NBA franchises have. But retiring Curry’s jersey is the kind of low-hanging fruit that buys you goodwill with a fanbase that has suffered through a lot of lottery lotteries.
A Family Affair in Charlotte
The ceremony on March 19 is going to be a scene. You have to assume Steph and Seth will be there, watching their old man finally get the respect he earned back when the 3-point line was treated like a suggestion rather than a requirement.
There is something poetic about Dell Curry, a man who has spent 27 years with the organization as a player and broadcaster, finally getting his due. He stuck with the Charlotte Hornets through the good times, the move to New Orleans (we don’t talk about that), the Bobcats era (we definitely don’t talk about that), and the return of the name.
He’s been the constant.
Joining Bobby Phills
Perhaps the most touching part of this announcement is that Dell will no longer be the only legend in the building without a banner. He joins Bobby Phills (No. 13) as the only two players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise. It’s a small club, but it’s a prestigious one.
So, circle the date on your calendar. March 19. The Charlotte Hornets are finally doing the thing everyone knew they should have done years ago. It’s going to be emotional, it’s going to be nostalgic, and knowing Dell, he’ll probably be the coolest guy in the room.
Just don’t let Eric Collins give the speech, or he might explode.
