Why is Fred Whitfield resigning from VC of Charlotte Hornets? Reason behind franchise president's sudden decision explored

Longtime Charlotte Hornets president and vice chairman Fred Whitfield is stepping down from his position and leaving the organization due to health reasons after more than 17 years leading the team. He has been the head of business operations and also the president and vice chairman of Hornets Sports & Entertainment, the team’s ownership group.

While Whitfield wasn't on the basketball side of the organization, he played a huge part in elevating the club to the stature it enjoys today. He has also long held a minority stake in the franchise. The team's statement about the move did not clarify whether he would be selling his stake.

Whitfield joined the organization when the club was still known as the Charlotte Bobcats in July 2006 with then-minority owner Michael Jordan. Whitfield first served as president and chief operating officer for 12 years before he was promoted.

Whitfield cited health and family reasons in the statement confirming his departure.

“Over the last 18 months I have successfully battled a serious case of throat cancer,” the 65-year-old Whitfield said in a statement. “I’ve also been focused on supporting my mother, who has her own health issues.”

Whitfield is a North Carolina native who had worked with Jordan during different phases of his career. He held various roles at David Falk’s player representation agency, in the Washington Wizards front office, and with Jordan Brand and Nike.

“We thank Fred for all he has done for our organization and for the role he has played in helping get our ownership group up to speed over the last several months,” Hornets owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said in a statement.

Fred Whitfield's major achievements with the Charlotte Hornets

Fred Whitfield helped oversee the growth of the organization. He played an instrumental role in the name change from the Charlotte Bobcats back to the Hornets in 2014. In addition, he was a key player in the rebranding of Spectrum Center in 2016 and the launch of the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA G League.

Other notable achievements under his leadership included the organization securing renovations and a lease extension for Spectrum Center. The Hornets also reached long-term agreements with Ticketmaster to serve as the ticketing provider for the arena and Live Nation to book entertainment.

Furthermore, the team reached a TV broadcast deal with Fox Sports, and the Spectrum Center hosted the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend, the 2019 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament and the Jumpman Invitational.

Fred Whitfield’s departure comes a few months after new co-owners Schnall and Plotkin took control of the franchise. They purchased majority control from former majority owner, chairman and NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan was the majority owner for 13 years having bought the then-unprofitable club in 2010 from Bob Johnson for a price of $275 million. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Jordan sold the franchise at a valuation of approximately $3 billion.