The NBA’s Charlotte franchise ditched the Bobcats and returned to being named the Hornets, in a rebranding effort that will begin in earnest next season.
It’s already begun in terms of the name change becoming official, and we recently got a glimpse of what the newly-designed uniforms would look like, with three versions in white, purple and teal all on the slate for next year.
The final piece was to see how the team would unveil its new home floor, and the design is glorious.
From the official release:
The floor, which features the team’s primary logo at center court, has a cell pattern stained in the wood and includes a teal border and purple free-throw lanes. Both baselines have the words “Charlotte Hornets” in the team’s font. The design includes a pair of Buzz City logos inside the three-point line on either end in a show of civic pride, as well as the team’s Crown CH logo at center court on the apron. The Time Warner Cable Arena logo appears twice on the court as it has in the past. …
The Hornets’ wood playing surface is constructed from northern hard maple and was manufactured by Cincinnati-based Robbins Sports Surfaces. The floor is made up of more than 200 sectional panels, each of which are 4 feet by 8 feet and weigh approximately 175 pounds. It features a revolutionary locking system designed to speed up arena changeovers and provide a tight, monolithic appearance. The floor is designed to enhance the safety, comfort and performance of the players as it will absorb about 60% of a player’s impact energy. The intent is to provide a surface that allows for exciting play while at the same time reducing wear and tear on the players’ bodies.
As with the team’s overall brand identity and uniforms, the court was designed in collaboration with senior executives within the Hornets organization; Jordan Brand, a division of Nike; and the NBA’s Global Merchandising Group. Both Jordan Brand and Nike have a long history of working with professional teams and universities in developing brand identities and utilize some of the world’s most highly recognized designers.
Check out the photos below.
