Note: this is not to be confused with the original Charlotte Hornets (1988-2002) (see New Orleans Pelicans) The Charlotte Hornets (formely be the Charlotte Bobcats) are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The team is part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association. The Hornets were established in 2004 as the Charlotte Bobcats, an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA team, the Original Charlotte Hornets, relocated to New Orleans and became the New Orleans Hornets. The Bobcats play their home games at Time Warner Cable Arena in uptown Charlotte.