Bobcats name change
"We've heard the community ask the question, and we would listen," Jordan said.
The Bobcats have conducted surveys about the name in recent months. Jordan said in February that reaction was "very mixed."
A name change typically takes at least 18 months, so a Hornets reboot would be completed in 2015 at the earliest.
Source: Charlotte Bobcats name change: Team reportedly moving toward switch to Hornets by Associated Press
The Bobcats took their name from Robert Johnson, the man who brought them into existence in 2004 as the owner of the expansion franchise. Johnson sold his shares to minority owner Michael Jordan in February of 2010, making Jordan the first former player to own an NBA team.
The rebranding is a welcome change for the Bobcats, who finished with the worst record in the NBA in 2011-2012 and the second-worst record in 2012-2013. As the Hornets, Charlotte reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals four times between 1993-2002.
Source: Charlotte Bobcats to change name to Hornets, according to report by Ricky O'Donnell, SBNation
Silver told season ticket holders re-acquiring the name "Hornets" would not be an issue, stating that the NBA and not the Pelicans owned the moniker. Acquiring and rearranging the necessary digital assets would be a major part of any change. Hornets.com and CharlotteHornets.com are owned by NBA Media Ventures, LLC and currently redirect to NBA.com/Pelicans.
However, a WhoIs.net search for the domain name NBAHornets.com shows that the URL was created and registered very recently -- on May 15, 2013 to be exact -- by NBA Media Ventures, LLC.
NBA Media Ventures, LLC, is the media branch of the NBA and owns NBA.com, Hornets.com and CharlotteHornets.com.
Source: Charlotte Bobcats begin process of changing name back to Hornets By Eye on Basketball
