1993–94 Charlotte Hornets season

The 1993–94 Charlotte Hornets season was the sixth season for the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Hornets acquired Hersey Hawkins from the Philadelphia 76ers, and acquired Eddie Johnson from the Seattle SuperSonics.

Coming off of their first ever playoff appearance, and with the addition of Hawkins and Eddie Johnson, the Hornets won eight of their first twelve games of the regular season, but then posted a five-game losing streak between November and December afterwards. In December, the team traded Johnny Newman to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Rumeal Robinson. The Hornets soon struggled posting an eight-game losing streak between January and February, falling below .500 in winning percentage, and holding a 22–25 record at the All-Star break. The team dealt with injuries as Larry Johnson only played 51 games due to a back injury, and second-year star Alonzo Mourning only appeared in 60 games due to a torn calf muscle, and a sprained ankle.

At mid-season, the Hornets traded Mike Gminski to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Frank Brickowski, and signed free agent Marty Conlon, but released him to free agency after 16 games, as he later on signed with the Washington Bullets. The team lost ten of their eleven games in February, and posted another eight-game losing streak between February and March, losing 16 of their 17 games between January 25 and March 5, 1994. The Hornets won 18 of their final 26 games of the season, and finished in fifth place in the Central Division with a 41–41 record; however, the team failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs after finishing just one game behind the 8th-seeded Miami Heat.

Mourning averaged 21.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game, while Johnson averaged 16.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and sixth man Dell Curry provided the team with 16.3 points per game, led them with 152 three-point field goals off the bench, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In addition, Hawkins provided the team with 14.4 points and 1.6 steals per game, while Eddie Johnson contributed 11.5 points per game, and Muggsy Bogues provided with 10.8 points, 10.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Meanwhile, Kenny Gattison averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game off the bench, and David Wingate contributed 6.2 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mourning was selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his first ever All-Star selection, but he did not participate due to injury. Meanwhile, Curry participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout.

The Hornets led the NBA in home-game attendance for the fifth time in six seasons, with an attendance of 971,609 at the Charlotte Coliseum during the regular season. Following the season, Eddie Johnson left to play overseas in Greece, while Brickowski signed as a free agent with the Sacramento Kings, and Robinson was released to free agency.