Chandler Parsons Changes Tone on Hornets, Who Are No Longer a 'Laughingstock'

Over the last couple of years, former NBA wing Chandler Parsons has been very critical of LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.

As a matter of fact, it wasn't even that long ago that he was blaming the Hornets for "devaluing" LaMelo Ball by bringing him off the bench, when in reality, he was never going to be shopped around, and they were doing it as a creative way to allow him to play in clutch time in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets have been arguably the hottest team in the entire NBA over the past two months and are now 17-2 when throwing out the starting lineup of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, and Moussa Diabaté.

Now, Parsons has flipped his view of the Hornets, saying they are no longer the laughingstock of the NBA.

Chandler Parsons says the Hornets are no longer a laughingstock 💯

"They're young and fun. Kon Knueppel breaks the record for most 3's by a rookie...he's a stud. ... They have the infrastructure of a good franchise."@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/INKsVZkGgs
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 27, 2026

“I agree with Lou (Williams). I think they’re a Play-In team. They’re young and fun. Also, Kon Knueppel breaks the record for the most threes by a rookie. Awesome. He’s a stud. They used to almost be a laughingstock. At least now, they’re a team with a future. Now, they have pieces. They have future potential stars. I loved them getting Coby White at the deadline. They’re solid. Brandon Miller is a stud. Bridges, Ball. At least they have the infrastructure now of a good franchise.”

I get what Parsons is saying here, but let's be real. The Hornets, at least the last five years or so, weren't necessarily the laughingstock of the NBA. Sure, the record has been abysmal, but that's because of injuries. No other team in the association had experienced more injuries to key players over a long period of time than the Hornets did.

Don't believe me? Just go back and look at some of the lineups the Hornets were throwing out there. I mean, there would be some nights where there were three to four G-League level or end-of-the-bench caliber players starting games for Charlotte. It wasn't because they didn't have any talent at all. And it certainly wasn't because they were horrible with a healthy roster. This 17-2 surge proves that. All this organization needed was health to show that the future is bright.

This afternoon, the Hornets will look to pick up their fourth straight win and climb to within one game of .500 when they play host to the Portland Trail Blazers. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET.