Charlotte Hornets Unveil New Logo for 2014-15 Season

Starting in the 2014-15 season, the Charlotte Bobcats will once again become the Charlotte Hornets. On Dec. 21, the organization released the official Hornets logo:

Mike Persinger of the Charlotte Observer also provided a look at the secondary logo:

The design retains the colors from 2002, the last year the Hornets played in Charlotte, while also featuring the mascot "Hugo." According to the team's official press release, this was a big part of the decision. Bobcats sports and entertainment president and COO Fred Whitfield stated:

"

The logos are the foundation of an organization’s brand identity, and our goal was to design logos that would have awareness, be relevant and resonate with our fans. We developed a logo that physically depicted the characteristics and DNA of the type of team we want on the court, as well as those of hornets and the city of Charlotte.

We recognize the heritage behind the original logo and our goal was to connect to the past but also include elements of an evolution. With that in mind, we are thrilled to be able to bring Hugo back as our mascot. We realize all he meant to the city and our fans and we’re excited to re-introduce him this offseason.

"

According to Darren Rovell of ESPN, the exact shade was also important:

Rovell also pointed out that the change will cost the organization $4 million to rebrand 250 major points throughout the arena. 

Still, the new image should be enough to endear fans of the original team. This hype video was also released to get people excited about next season.

The Hornets originally joined the NBA in 1988 along with the Miami Heat. In 2002, the franchise relocated to New Orleans while keeping the same name and mascot.

When Charlotte was given a new franchise two seasons later, they were named the Bobcats. However, the original name became available once the New Orleans Hornets decided to change their name to the Pelicans this season.

In July, the NBA approved the name change back to the Hornets in a move that was extremely popular within the Charlotte area.

Considering the team already has 13 wins this season after 21 all of last year, there will certainly be a lot of excitement going forward. 

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.