The Charlotte Hornets are adding Muggsy Bogues to the small group of players whose numbers hang in the rafters: the team will retire his No. 1 jersey, making the 61-year-old the third player in franchise history to receive the honor. Bogues learned of the decision at Spectrum Center during what he thought was a video interview for an upcoming children’s basketball event.
The Hornets announced the plan Tuesday, confirming that Bogues will join Bobby Phills (No. 13) and Dell Curry (No. 30) as the only players in franchise history with retired numbers, according to foxcarolina.com. The ceremony is set for halftime of Charlotte's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 11, 2027, at Spectrum Center, the outlet reported. As apnews.com also confirmed, the plan makes Bogues the latest Hornet to be enshrined in that way.
Bogues’s wife and two of his children were there for the announcement, he told the Charlotte Observer. His daughter flew in from Baltimore for the occasion. He said the recognition made him happy and the moment feel surreal.
A Decade Defined by Assists and Steals
Bogues was an original member of the Hornets, acquired by the team in the 1988 expansion draft after being drafted in the first round out of Wake Forest by the Washington NBA franchise, per the Observer's reporting. He went on to play all 10 of Charlotte's first NBA seasons, appearing in 632 games between 1988-89 and 1997-98, according to foxcarolina.com's account of the Hornets' announcement.
Over that stretch, Bogues became the franchise's all-time leader in assists, assists per game, steals and minutes played, the station reported, averaging 8.8 points, 8.8 assists and 1.7 steals a game in Charlotte. His playmaking helped the Hornets to three 50-plus-win seasons and multiple playoff appearances, and the team won its first postseason series in 1993, the Observer noted.
Bogues' efficiency as a passer has outlasted his playing days. His career 4.69 assist-to-turnover ratio still ranks as the best in NBA history among the top 100 all-time assist leaders, foxcarolina.com reported. At 5-foot-3, Bogues remains recognized as the shortest player ever to appear in the NBA, the station added.
Following Curry and Phills Into the Rafters
Bogues will be the third Hornet honored this way, after Bobby Phills, whose No. 13 hangs in the rafters, and Dell Curry, whose No. 30 was retired at halftime of a game against the Orlando Magic in March 2026, the Observer reported. The Observer also noted that Michael Jordan did not retire a player’s number during his years as Hornets owner. The franchise’s current ownership group, Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, has retired two numbers and said honoring the players who built the franchise is part of its commitment to Hornets history.
Charlotte’s Franchise History and Bogues’s Records
The Charlotte Hornets say the city’s first NBA franchise used the Hornets name from 1988 to 2002, before the NBA returned to Charlotte as the Bobcats in 2004. The team says that when the Hornets name returned in 2014, Charlotte NBA basketball’s records and history returned to the franchise as well, according to the Charlotte Hornets. Official NBA statistics further place Bogues among the franchise’s record holders: NBA.com lists him as Charlotte’s all-time steals leader with 1,067. NBA.com also notes that he is the only player in franchise history to average double-digit assists per game, a mark he reached in back-to-back seasons, according to its single-season assists-per-game records.
Bogues said having his number retired alongside those of former teammates Phills and Curry made the honor especially meaningful, according to foxcarolina.com. Several notable players have worn No. 1 in Charlotte since Bogues departed, including LaMelo Ball, Baron Davis, Kemba Walker, Stephen Jackson and Malik Monk, the Observer reported.
Life After Basketball in Charlotte
Bogues played 14 NBA seasons overall and has remained rooted in Charlotte since retiring, making appearances and speeches for the Hornets and the NBA as an ambassador for both, the Observer reported. He has also coached Charlotte’s WNBA team and remains active with his charitable foundation. Beyond basketball, Bogues co-starred in Michael Jordan’s Space Jam and appeared on Saturday Night Live, the Observer noted. He recorded 39 blocked shots in his playing career.
Bogues, who has a wife and three children, said his continued ties to the city keep surprises like this one grounded in something personal. “Someone is taking time out of their busy day to just acknowledge you,” he told the Observer in an earlier conversation about his post-playing life. He also credited the current Hornets roster's turnaround, from a 16-38 start to a 37-34 record, to the team getting healthy and point guard LaMelo Ball buying in. “One, they are all healthy. But for me, it all comes down to (point guard) LaMelo (Ball). He bought in,” Bogues said.
