CHARLOTTE, N.C. β The Charlotte Knights held a βTribute To Charlotte Sportsβ promotion on Friday night, and couldnβt have done much better in terms of local legends.
Former Charlotte Hornets All-Star forward Larry Johnson, as well as former Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Stewart, greeted fans, signed autographs, and threw out first pitches.
Johnson thrilled fans as part of the beloved early 1990s Hornets after the franchise made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.Β
βThis is where I picked my bones, this is where I first started,β Johnson said. βItβs fond memories.β
He won league Rookie of the Year, then made his first All-Star game in 1992-93 and was named second-team All-NBA in his second season.
Johnson was traded to the New York Knicks after the 1995-96 season, and does not make many public appearances in Charlotte, the last one documented coming in 2018.
βTo come back, itβs a little emotional,β Johnson said.
Johnson also said he regrets not attending any of the Hornetsβ 30th Anniversary celebrations in 2018.
βI should have been at that, but that was on me,β Johnson said. βI had some other stuff, so I said no. There are no plans for me to come back, but I would definitely not rule it out.β
Meanwhile, Stewart was a Panthers first-round pick in 2008 and played 10 seasons with Carolina.
He is the teamβs all-time rushing leader with 7,318 yards to go along with 51 rushing touchdowns.
This season will mark the tenth anniversary of the Panthers’ 2015 NFC Championship team, in which Stewart played a major role.
βI miss the things that were in between playing,β Stewart said. βThe locker room experience, the bus rides, the plane rides, and just hanging out with the fellas.β
Contact Nick Carboni atΒ ncarboni@wcnc.comΒ and follow him onΒ Facebook,Β XΒ andΒ Instagram.
You can stream WCNC Charlotte on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV, just download the free WCNC+ app to get the news that impacts you.