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Steph Curry endorses retiring Muggsy Bogues’ and Kemba Walker’s jerseys next, after Dell.Bogues leads Hornets history in assists and steals; Walker is franchise’s leading scorer.Curry says it’s a good “dinner-table debate” as to whether LJ or Zo should join the list.
Now that Dell Curry’s jersey is in the rafters, who’s next?
I’ve been thinking about that question for a while. But before answering it myself, I sought the advice of someone with a unique perspective on Charlotte Hornets history:
Steph Curry.
Steph Curry and his brother Seth used to roam the halls of the old Charlotte Coliseum as kids while their father geared up to play games. They were just “two annoying little kids,” as Steph Curry termed it.
(From left) Steph Curry, Sydel Curry, Dell Curry and Seth Curry pose together during a reception for Dell Curry on Thursday at Spectrum Center. Dell Curry’s No. 30 was retired by the Charlotte Hornets. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
But after watching hundreds of Hornets games in person, Steph Curry went to Davidson and eventually turned into a far bigger star than Dell was in the NBA, winning two NBA Most Valuable Player awards and four NBA championships.
Steph Curry, now 38, has seen and exhibited excellence at all levels of basketball. So who should be honored next, after his father?
Curry had an immediate answer, and it turned out to be the same as mine.
“Muggsy and Kemba,” Curry said. “Those are the next two ‘for sure’ guys.”
Curry was referring, of course, to the two most famous point guards in franchise history: Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues and Kemba Walker.
Muggsy Bogues checks out an exhibit in 2023 at the Charlotte Museum of History. Bogues, one of the most popular Hornets of all time, still tops the team’s all-time list in assists and steals. JOHN D. SIMMONS For The Observer
Like Dell Curry, Bogues joined the team in its first year of existence (1988) and became a fan favorite on and off the court, owing partly to his height. At 5-foot-3, he remains the shortest player in NBA history. He remains the Hornets’ career leader in both steals and assists and is second in games played, behind only Dell.
Walker is the team’s all-time leading scorer, by more than 2,000 points, having surpassed Dell Curry in 2018. Much like Cam Newton did for the Panthers, albeit with less team success, Walker carried the Hornets throughout the 2010s. He played for Charlotte from 2011-19 and was the smiling face of the franchise almost that whole time — fearless, friendly and worthy of a far better team than the one that mostly surrounded him.
“It’s interesting with Charlotte,” Steph Curry said. “They just didn’t have as much of the playoff success as you would want (the Hornets have not only never made the NBA Finals, but they’ve also never made the Eastern Conference finals). But each franchise can and should have unique qualifications (for jersey retirements or other honors). Muggsy changed the game and represented a certain era of basketball for the Hornets. Kemba is the all-time leading scorer. Both are deserving.”
Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker reaches out to congratulate a teammate following a score in 2016. Walker ended his career as the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer, surpassing Dell Curry by more than 2,000 points. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
I’d agree. I’d do it chronologically, putting Muggsy in first and then Walker (now a Hornets assistant coach) in next.
So if you’re doing them in a “one player a year” fashion, which probably makes sense to make the moment feel more special, I’d go with Muggsy in 2027 and Walker in 2028.
But after that?
“We’ve had dinner-table debates,” Steph Curry said, “about Zo and LJ and whether they played enough years (in Charlotte).”
And that’s the central question when you’re talking about Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, who teamed together in the early 1990s as part of the Hornets’ most successful decade.
Both were tremendous, of course — for a while. Mourning went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Miami Heat, but he only played three of his 15 seasons with the Hornets after the team controversially traded Zo in his prime in 1995. Johnson, a magnetic player whose “Grandmama” persona was a national sensation in commercials in the 1990s, hurt his back in Charlotte and never quite had the same explosiveness again. He played five of his 10 seasons for Charlotte.
Muggsy Bogues (left) and Larry Johnson were one of the NBA’s most popular pairings during their time together with the Charlotte Hornets in the mid-1990s. BOB LEVERONE Charlotte Observer
And they’re not the only ones to think about. You could make a case for Gerald Wallace, and there are several current Hornets who also will be in consideration once their careers end. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are climbing the all-time charts in several categories. On some nights, Brandon Miller looks capable of being the Hornets’ all-time leading scorer, if they max out his contract and keep him for 10 years. And rookie Kon Knueppel might be the best of them all.
But all that’s down the road. And for now, I’d answer the Zo/LJ question this way:
No, I wouldn’t retire either of their jerseys.
They were great players for the Hornets, for a while. But much of their promise was unfulfilled in Charlotte for various reasons. And they ultimately made their homes elsewhere. What makes a stronger case for Bogues and Walker is how they planted roots in Charlotte and have been deeply involved in the community for a long time.
So that’s how I’d do it, for now:
Muggsy Bogues in 2027.
Kemba Walker in 2028.
And then let’s take a break for a couple of years, and see where we are.
The Charlotte Observer
Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994 and has earned 26 APSE awards for his sportswriting. He hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler also conceived and hosted the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which featured 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons and was turned into a book. He occasionally writes about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the forgotten plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte on Sept. 11, 1974.
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