side panels and additional pinstripes to their jerseys. Offseason Expansion draft The team's roster was filled as a result of an expansion draft in 1988. In a coin flip, the Hornets earned the right to choose either the higher choice in the college draft or the first pick in the expansion draft, picking the former. Most teams use such drafts to pick young players and guarantee a future, but Charlotte chose veterans in order to get a competitive lineup right away. Traded for Kelly Tripucka from the Utah Jazz Waived before the season. Traded for Robert Reid from the Houston Rockets. Sent to Portland Trail Blazers. Also sent were Kurt Rambis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Earl Cureton of the Philadelphia 76ers. NBA Draft Subsequent to the expansion draft, Charlotte was given the eight pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. They selected Rex Chapman, a shooting guard out of University of Kentucky. Roster Preseason The Hornets' first official NBA game took place on October 14, 1988, at the Madison Square Garden, and was a 118–97 preseason loss to the New Jersey Nets. Regular season The Hornets played their first season in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. The team's first regular season NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the Charlotte Coliseum, and was a 133–93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the huge loss, the Hornets received a standing ovation at the end of the game. November 8, 1988, the team won their first game over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105. On December 23, 1988, the Hornets defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 103–101 at the buzzer in Jordan's first return to North Carolina as a professional. During the season, Kelly Tripucka led the franchise with 22.6 points per game. Despite the Hornets mostly poor play (typical for an expansion franchise), the Hornets led the NBA in attendance during the season, selling out 36 of 41 home games (including the final 30). Season standings z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot Record vs. opponents Game log |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 1 || November 4, 1988 || Cleveland || L 93–133 || Charlotte Coliseum || 23,338 || 0–1 |- align="center" bgcolor="edbebf" | 2 || November 5, 1988 || @ Detroit || L 85–94 || The Palace of Auburn Hills || 21,454 || 0–2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#bbffbb" | 3 ||