The Charlotte Bobcats have officially changed the franchise’s name back to the Charlotte Hornets.
The Associated Press reported that the team announced the name change on Tuesday.
“Today we complete a task that has never been accomplished before, bringing a name back to its original market,” said Hornets CEO Fred Whitfield. “It’s a name that provokes a tremendous amount of pride. The Hornets name has been a part of our community for over 200 years.”
Sports Illustrated noted that the team launched a new website, Hornets.com and will reclaim the history the organization had when it was in town from 1988-2002.
The name change was approved last summer to the delight of team owner Michael Jordan, who said that he was "thrilled" about the change.
The name change has also been welcomed by many fans that are hoping it brings the team much more success than it had under the Bobcats nickname.
The Hornets name of course became available when New Orleans owner, Tom Benson, changed his team’s name to the Pelicans.