The Charlotte Hornets are garnering a whole lot of attention around the NBA.
The Charlotte Hornets fell to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, marking the second time they have lost to the Celtics in just over a week.
However, the Hornets certainly left a lasting impression on Boston.
In fact, after the game, Celtics star Jaylen Brown issued a rather bold proclamation regarding Charlotte moving forward.
“This team kind of reminds me of us when we were younger," Brown said. "Young group, shoot the ball well, got a lot of different guys who can beat you, and have fearlessness. So they came out ready to play. Today was like a playoff-like game and we found a way to win.”
Considering that Brown has won a championship and been to the NBA Finals twice in Boston, that is quite a compliment.
The Hornets have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the league this season, as they are 43-37 and have clinched play-in position — at the very least — with two games left to play.
Charlotte is two games behind the Toronto Raptors in the loss column for that No. 6 seed, which would take the Hornets out of play-in position and into the playoffs. With so little time remaining, that ground will be difficult to cover.
Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball. Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images.But the fact that Charlotte is even in this spot with the postseason on the horizon is truly a testament to how far the team has come this year.
The Hornets won 19 games last season, and while just about everyone did expect improvement from the young squad during the 2025-26 campaign, I'm not sure even the most die-hard Charlotte fan anticipated this.
Since bottoming out at 16-28 back on Jan. 21, the Hornets have gone 27-9 to establish themselves as serious threats in the Eastern Conference.
Thanks to a dynamic young core headlined by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, the sky appears the limit for Charlotte.
A lack of experience will probably end up getting the better of the Hornets this year, but heading into the future, Charlotte could ultimately become one of the league's top championship contenders before you can blink.
The Hornets will face the Detroit Pistons and then the New York Knicks to close out the regular season.
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