Mint, Gold and Granite: The Charlotte History in the Hornets' City Edition Uniforms

From the Bring Back the Buzz archive. First published November 13, 2020, as "Why I Like the New Hornets Uniform and Court" on bringbackthebuzz.net, lightly edited.

Hornets uniforms come and go, but the history behind the 2020 City Edition set is worth keeping. Here's why a jersey reveal turned into a Charlotte history lesson.

When renderings of the 2020 City Edition uniforms first reached us, we didn't share them, because we couldn't verify where they came from. So we sat on them, and I went through a range of emotions.

My first reaction was confusion. The mint felt too close to teal, and for a fanbase that holds teal and purple dear, the contrast felt confusing. This is a fanbase that holds its branding in higher regard than maybe any other in sports. We haven't had much else.

Then, without reading any explanation from the team, I started thinking about the colors and what they might mean. Like the Grinch's heart, my fondness for them grew.

A city that forgets its history

Charlotte often gets pegged as a place without culture, identity or history because of how fast it has grown. Our history isn't widely shared or taught, and much of the physical evidence has been lost along the way. On our podcast we've talked about growing up here and wishing the city would get the recognition we thought it deserved. That growth was a double-edged sword: we got the shiny new things, but lost some of the institutions that made this place Charlotte.

That realization was part of the origin of Bring Back the Buzz. The Hornets weren't just an NBA team from the '80s and '90s. "Hornets' nest" was a name given to this region during the Revolutionary War, and we wore it with pride, on naval ships, sports teams and the symbols of local government. We were fighters.

We were lucky to have a mom who is a bit of a historian. She studied anthropology, volunteered at the Charlotte Museum of History, and worked in Special Collections at UNC Charlotte. Though she's from Pennsylvania, she made sure we knew where we're from and its story.

A history lesson on a jersey

The team that put Charlotte on the map gave its own citizens a history lesson just by putting these on a uniform and court:

• Mint: Charlotte was home to the first branch of the U.S. Mint.
• Gold: for the Carolina Gold Rush of the 1800s.
• Granite: North Carolina's state rock.
• "Trade & Tryon" on the court: Independence Square, the crossroads this city was built on.

Within hours of the reveal, people learned something about the place they call home. If that isn't a City Edition uniform, I don't know what is.

Charlotte pride is a big part of what we design, too. Our Crown Club gear leans on the same idea: teal, purple and a little local history.