Quick Hits: Renovations, TV Deal, Practice Facility, Ownership Split, Front Office + More

Rick Schnall's opening statement

"The first thing I want to do is thank Michael. Michael is obviously the greatest basketball player of all time and he's been an incredible partner to us during this negotiation. And he's obviously set this business up for future success. We also wanted to thank him for staying in with us as a minority partner, so he's not leaving. He'll be around here hopefully for a long time with us."

Gabe Plotkin's opening statement

"I want to thank Michael. I met Michael five years ago and he's been a great partner. He's obviously in my opinion, and in probably most, the best basketball player that ever lived. But the other thing is, he has tremendous love for the city of Charlotte, for the Hornets organization, for the state of North Carolina, and for the fans. I think one of the things that really stood out to me in getting to know Michael was just the respect and admiration he had for all the Hornet employees and the way he treated them and that's certainly something that we want to build on."

Plotkin RE: Old memories with the Hornets

"My first introduction to the Hornets was probably in fifth or sixth grade. The Hornets were new. It was 1988 and everyone had those purple and teal Starter jackets and I desperately wanted one. My parents didn't buy me one and I don't remember why, but I think I'm going to get one now. That was my first introduction and the Hornets, they had the best color scheme in the NBA then and they still do today, so I'm happy to be a part of it."

Plotkin RE: Charlotte market

"There was a perception at a time that this was a bottom five market in the NBA and we thought that was very backward looking. We think there's been a lot of growth here and the city is really booming. We think ultimately, this is a top-10, top-15 franchise in the NBA in terms of attractiveness."

Schnall RE: Investment level into the organization

"We are excited to be involved in a place where there's so much passion for basketball. We're committed to invest in this franchise, to invest in our arena, to invest in our team, to invest in our facilities, to invest in our player development. We expect great things. The future for our team is bright. We have a great young core of players that we can build around."

Schnall RE: Owning a team as a group versus by himself

"I think owning a team should not be an individual exercise. That is less fun. I always thought that doing it with a group of like-minded people would be a lot more fun."

Schnall RE: Ownership split

"We own a very similar amount."

Plotkin RE: Michael Jordan sticking around

"He's kind of said whatever you need, I'll be there. If it's a question about a player, if it's an issue with the league, if it's a question about a direction we might want to go in, or just getting strategic counsel advice, he's there for us. To have him as a resource is really unique. And I think the other thing is when we start winning more basketball games and you start feeling the buzz, to have Michael around and be a part of that is a really exciting thing for the NBA and all our fans."

Schnall RE: Michael Jordan sticking around

"One of the last conversations we had, he said I want to see this thing through. We haven't had the success that I had hoped for but I know we have something great happening here and I trust you are the right guys to take this team forward but I don't want to leave. We'll continue to lean on him in situations where it's appropriate and he's been unbelievable to us in this process. And we intend to repay him with a championship."

Schnall RE: How much he'll be around

"I intend to be here a lot. I just bought an apartment here. I still do work in New York some of the time. But I think having watched it closely for eight years, local ownership is really meaningful. Being in the community is really meaningful, so I intend to be in Charlotte quite a bit."

Schnall RE: If there are any plans to make front office changes

"We don't intend to make any changes to our management team or our basketball ops in the short-term. We will evaluate and work with the way we have been working closely with Mitch [Kupchak] and Fred [Whitfield]. I think good ownership is one that comes in, evaluates, works with a current team, does not make rash decisions without full evaluation."

Schnall RE: Spectrum Center renovations

"This facility is going to be dramatically different two years from now, three years from now. It will feel different. It will be a great experience for fans. We'll have many new areas and exciting places for people to go and it'll have a North Carolina feel. That is underway. That is agreed to. The city has agreed to put the capital in and the project is well underway. It will start in earnest this summer in the back of the house, but next summer we'll start to see some major changes."

Plotkin RE: New practice facility

"We've had conversations about the practice facility and we're still learning and those are ongoing conversations. I don't think anything has been decided, but I think ultimately will lead to a practice facility which most NBA teams have and we think will be really beneficial to our player experience."

Schnall RE: Future with Bally Sports

"We actually don't know the answer to that question. We're obviously under contract through the 2025-26 season with Bally Sports and we expect them to live up to that contract. They're obviously in Chapter 11, so that's an ongoing negotiation and the NBA is very concerned and very involved in that. There will be a place to watch the Hornets. We think it'll be Bally Sports under the terms of the contract, but if not we will have alternative plans."

Plotkin RE: Attracting big-time free agents

"I think you look at what we have now and it takes time and patience. Player development is really important. I think irrespective of what you're trying to do on the free agency market, you need to develop your own players. I also think you want to have an attractive organization. You want to have a winning organization. And to an extent, you do those things, you have a new practice facility, you're a winning culture, free agents are going to want to come here. It's a great city. It's a great climate. The ease of getting around here is wonderful."

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