Like a lot of other states in the country, North Carolina is home to many different sports teams. Three teams stand out from the rest and in this piece, we’ll give you their brief histories.
Carolina Panthers
North Carolina’s National Football League (NFL) representatives are the Carolina Panthers, who play their games in the Bank of America Stadium in Uptown Charlotte. The franchise came into being in 1993 and started taking the field in the 1995 season. They’re not supported just in North Carolina, however, and have a substantial fanbase in South Carolina as well, making them unique in the NFL landscape. They also have heated rivalries with the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and fixtures against these teams generally result in a horde of special sportsbook promos when they come around.
The Panthers have made it to the Super Bowl twice; the first time in 2003, and the second time in 2015. Since then, however, they’ve made the playoffs only once – in 2017. In 2022, the Panthers signed Baker Mayfield, with both the player and the franchise looking for upticks in form.
The Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are the National Basketball Association (NBA) representative from North Carolina and contest in the Eastern Conference of the league. The team plays their home games at the Spectrum Center in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, and has been playing in the NBA since 1988. They are owned by arguably the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.
The Hornets have a bit of a confusing history – while they started in Charlotte, they officially moved to New Orleans in 2002 and were called the New Orleans Hornets at the time. In the meantime, a replacement Charlotte Team – the Bobcats- was set up in Charlotte in 2004. Four years after Jordan’s acquisition of the team in 2010, he announced that the Charlotte Hornets era would resume with the Bobcats named retired, and the New Orleans team renamed to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Hornets are yet to win an NBA championship, but they’ve made it to the playoffs 10 times – however, their last playoff appearance took place back in 2016. Their star player at this moment in time is point guard LaMelo Ball.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are the National Hockey League (NHL) representatives of North Carolina. The team is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and plays its home games at the PNC Arena. The team was originally called the New England Whalers before rebranding as the Carolina Hurricanes following their relocation to North Carolina in 1997.
The Hurricanes have a special place in the heart of North Carolina locals as they’re the only team from the state to win a major league championship. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup back in 2006, having finished as runners-up in 2002. This remains their only major championship in the sport, and the only major championship to have been won by a team from North Carolina.