When the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season, the city and the NBA agreed to create a new team in Charlotte for the 2004-05 season. Several ownership groups, including one led by former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, made bids for the team. In the end, a group led by BET billionaire Robert L. Johnson won out. Johnson is one of the first prominent African-American owners in U.S. sports. The "Bobcats" name originated from him.

The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeastern division, along with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards.

The Bobcats held their expansion draft on Tuesday, June 22 2004, picking up such seasoned players as Peja Drobnjak and relative newcomers such as Theron Smith . They also traded with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire the second pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, which they used to select Emeka Okafor.

Their first game was a 103-96 loss to the Washington Wizards on November 4, 2004. They won their first game in franchise history over the Orlando Magic 111-100 on November 6.

Players of note

Brevin Knight
Emeka Okafor
Kareem Rush
Gerald Wallace
Primoz Brezec