NBA: Charlotte Bobcats franchise pushes move to bring back 'Hornets' monicker

In a letter sent out by franchise owner Michael Jordan, the Charlotte Bobcats announced that they have begun the process of bringing back the "Hornets" monicker, the city's NBA team once possessed.

"We have officially submitted our application to the NBA Board of Governors to change our name to the Charlotte Hornets beginning with the 2014-15 season," the letter states.

"The Charlotte Hornets name has been a mainstay throughout the region for many years, and we are excited to announce our intention to re-establish this historic brand. We believe that its return will galvanize our fan base by unifying our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have strong memories of our city's NBA predecessor."

@darrenrovell MJ's letter to public #Hornets twitter.com/bmillz09/statu…

— Baron Miller (@bmillz09) May 21, 2013

The letter also invites fans to check out the website backbuzzcity.com which contains offers for merchandise relating to the new Hornets team.

The ability to return to take back the Hornets name was made possible by the team that used to have that name, the New Orleans franchise, changing to become the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this year.

The Pelicans team was once the Charlotte Hornets, before moving to New Orleans, where it kept the name. When the team was sold to new ownership, the change to Pelicans was named after the Utah franchise refused to give up the Jazz nickname.

After the New Orleans franchise left Charlotte, the city was granted an expansion team in 2004. Many believe then-owner Robert "Bob" Johnson chose the Bobcats monicker because of the presence of "Bob" in it. NBA legend Michael Jordan then acquired the team in 2010 and has since taken on the task of transforming it into a competitive franchise.

Jordan's letter also stated that the NBA Board of Governors will vote on the name change in their July 18 meeting, which, if approved, would "launch a year-long process that would include the selection of the team's colors, the designing of the team's logo, uniforms and playing court."

Charlotte finished this season with a woeful 21-61 record, second-worst in the league. - AMD, GMA News