Rod Boone said McClatchy eliminated his Charlotte Observer position, leaving the newspaper without a dedicated Hornets beat writer before training camp.
Rod Boone said Monday that McClatchy eliminated his position at The Charlotte Observer, leaving the paper without a writer assigned to the Charlotte Hornets.
Boone posted the news on X on Monday morning, four days after McClatchy notified employees across its newspaper chain.
The NewsGuild-CWA said more than 90 unionized journalists and media workers at 17 McClatchy publications lost their jobs in the round announced Thursday, about 30% of the union's membership at the company. Eight of them worked at the Observer, close to a quarter of the newsroom, according to The Charlotte Ledger. The paper's two investigative reporters and its only data reporter were also cut.
"Last week, exactly 10 days before my 5-year anniversary at The Charlotte Observer, my position was eliminated by McClatchy along with 7 of my colleagues," Boone wrote.
"And it happened less than 48 hours after being told corporate had given the green light to bring back my podcast they whacked two years earlier," Boone continued.
Charlotte Observer No Longer Has Dedicated Hornets Writer
NBA training camps open Sept. 29. Veterans are permitted to report to their teams a day earlier.
"This means the paper of record that has covered the franchise since its inception in 1987 will no longer have a writer dedicated to giving readers the latest daily insight on the team," Boone wrote. "Training camp starts in two weeks."
Rick Bonnell held the Hornets beat at the Observer from the franchise's first season through the 2020-21 season. He died June 1, 2021, at 63, having written more than 11,000 bylines for the paper, and he served a term as president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association.
"During my career in this industry, which has spanned more than 25 years, I've had my share of tough assignments," Boone wrote. "Following in the footsteps of a legend and someone whose name is permanently affixed to two areas in Spectrum Center ranks right up there."
In October 2021, the Hornets renamed the Spectrum Center media and employee entrance for Bonnell, created the Rick Bonnell Award for the player who deals best with the media, and established a $10,000 annual scholarship for a journalism student at a North Carolina college. Boone took the beat that September. He covered the Nets for Newsday before that, wrote for The Athletic, and ran Sports Illustrated's Hornets site. His most recent posts carried the team's Exhibit 10 signings and waivers.
Boone Reflects on Hornets Beat
"I'm grateful, thankful and forever humbled that I was the one chosen to take on the huge responsibility," Boone wrote. "And I'm proud of the content I produced. Every single bit of it, including a recent string of nothing but exclusives."
"Thanks to all those who consumed my work and musings about the #Hornets. It's deeply appreciated," Boone continued. "Cheers to what's next."
Charlotte finished 44-38 last season, ninth in the Eastern Conference, and lost the play-in finale at Orlando 121-90 on April 17. The roster reporting to camp is largely new. The Hornets agreed June 25 to trade LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, first-round swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2030, and second-round picks in 2029, 2032, and 2033. Three days later they sent Miles Bridges to Phoenix for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick.
Coby White re-signed for three years and $74 million. Charlotte acquired Dorian Finney-Smith from Houston and Dennis Schröder from Cleveland in August, and drafted Washington forward-center Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr. at No. 18.
Hornets Enter Camp Without Observer Beat Writer
Hornets coach Charles Lee enters his third season. The regular season begins Oct. 20, and Charlotte opens on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, with the home opener against the Atlanta Hawks.
The preseason starts Oct. 3. Rosters must be set for opening day by Oct. 19.
