04-15-2008, 10:19 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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The Buzz is Back in the Big Easy
April 15, 2008 – In a league where amazing comebacks happen, none is as dramatic as the return of the Hornets to New Orleans this season.
When the 2007-08 season began in late October, the Hornets did the unexpected by returning home to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans after playing the last two seasons in Oklahoma City. Nearly six months and 80 games later, the Hornets have surpassed all expectations by sitting near the top of the very tough Western Conference for most of the season.
Much of the success of the Hornets this season is due to the MVP-caliber performance of Chris Paul, the emergence of David West and Tyson Chandler and the resurgence of Peja Stojakovic.
The NBA likewise provided a very valuable assist to the Hornets’ effort to make their comeback season special when it decided to hold this year’s annual All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Not only did the people of New Orleans see the best players in the league battle each other on their home court, but they also saw present and past NBA stars, league officials and staff help build houses and rebuild schools as part of the NBA Cares program. In a way, it was not only the Hornets who made their way back to New Orleans; the NBA itself, the entire league is back in the Big Easy.
An added treat for the basketball fans in New Orleans: There were three Hornets on the Western All-Stars team. Two played on the court: Paul and West. A third Hornet, head coach Byron Scott, was on the sidelines coaching the West squad. Scott was selected by virtue of the Hornets’ Western Conference-leading record 32-13 as of Feb. 3.
What makes the Hornets’ comeback season in the Big Easy amazing is the fact that only a handful thought the team had a chance of making it to the playoffs, much less emerging as champions of the very competitive Western Conference.
Link
Pretty nice piece from NBA.com. |
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The Buzz is Back in the Big Easy
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