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Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and the most famous athlete from the University of North Carolina. In the latest edition of Revisited, Jordan made arguably the most shocking draft pick in the history of the Hornets franchise in 2009.
The 2009 draft class was filled with great players such as Steph Curry, James Harden and Blake Griffin. However, the then-Bobcats only had the 12th overall pick. They selected Gerald Henderson, a slashing and athletic two-guard who went on to play in Charlotte for six seasons.
However, what made Henderson the most shocking pick made by Jordan? Henderson was a product of Duke, the bitter rival of UNC. He was the first Blue Devils player to get drafted by the Hornets franchise. Here's what Jordan said (h/t Greensboro.com) back then regarding his decision to draft a player from Durham:
"Sometimes it's hard to put those feelings away," Jordan said. "There's something about our blood that makes it very difficult to choose a Duke player. This is a business. Sometimes we have to supersede our feelings."
Henderson played for the Hornets from 2009 to 2015, averaging 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. His best season came in 2013, where he put up 15.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg and 1.0 spg in 68 games. He spent a season each in Portland and Philadelphia before retiring in 2017.
How many Duke players have Michael Jordan and Hornets have drafted?
Gerald Henderson was the first Duke player to get drafted by the Charlotte Hornets. Has Michael Jordan changed his stance about Duke? Probably not, but the Hornets have selected two more Blue Devils in the draft.
Frank Jackson was picked 31st overall in 2017 but was traded on the same day to the New Orleans Pelicans. Jackson spent three seasons in New Orleans before signing with the Detroit Pistons in 2020. He's still in Detroit, posting a career-high 10.6 ppg this season.
Meanwhile, the third Duke player drafted by the Hornets is Vernon Carey Jr. The power forward was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft. He was with the Hornets for just one and a half seasons. He was traded to the Washington Wizards in February as part of the Montrezl Harrell deal.
Hornets has two first-round picks in this year's draft
The Charlotte Hornets own two first-round picks in the 2022 NBA draft. They have the 13th and 15th overall selections. The 13th pick is their own pick for this year, while the 15th came from Devonte' Graham's trade to the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today, the Hornets have several options for the two picks.
He believes Mark Williams of UNC could fit in perfectly for the 15th overall selection. Williams improved his draft stock at the NCAA tournament, filling the Hornets' need for frontcourt players.
