
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 23, 1993                   TAG: 9304230019
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

PROPHECY FULFILLED

THE GOOD NEWS for the Charlotte Hornets is that they're in the NBA playoffs for the first time. The bad news? The Chicago Bulls may be their first-round opponent.

\ Just before the Charlotte Hornets' inaugural season, owner George Shinn predicted his team would make the playoffs in its fifth season.

Five years later, Shinn's prophecy came true. The Hornets earned their first playoff berth with a 119-111 victory Wednesday night over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Shinn stood outside the Hornets' dressing room after the game, wearing a 1993 NBA playoffs cap.

"I felt like with good people and hard work, we could accomplish that," Shinn said. "I wouldn't have predicted it if I didn't think we could do it.

"This is incredible for the city of Charlotte. We're going to be on national TV in the playoffs. Our jersey has `Charlotte' on it, not `Hornets.' Everybody will see it."

Inside the Hornets' locker room, the two players who have been through all five seasons for the Hornets, Muggsy Bogues and former Virginia Tech sharpshooter Dell Curry, sat back with their playoff caps on.

"It feels marvelous," Bogues said, "It's a real good feeling. We've been waiting for this for many years. We've taken many a loss with this organization.

"I'm not saying we appreciate this more than the other guys, but it feels more special. They didn't go through what we went through. I'm not on Cloud Nine, but I'm on Cloud Six. I'm almost there."

After scoring 15 points in the clinching victory Wednesday night, Curry soaked it in.

"I feel fortunate to still be here and be able to share this," he said. "We struggled a lot through hard times."

The Hornets finally got to the playoffs with their third coach, Allan Bristow, another former Virginia Tech basketball standout.

Shinn said he took a congratulatory call from Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

"I thanked him and then said, `The good news is we've made the playoffs,' " Shinn related. "The bad news is we might have to play you.' "

Keywords:
BASKETBALL

by CNB