The Charlotte Hornet mascot’s reaction to the franchise’s NBA Draft pick was caught on camera.
The Hornets selected Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in Thursday night’s draft. Victor Wembanyama went to the San Antonio Spurs with the number one selection, with the Hornets opting to choose Miller with their pick.
The 20-year-old forward from Alabama was regarded as one of the brightest prospects in this year’s drafts. Another player who was viewed in the same regard is G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson.
Henderson was picked at number three overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, but it was possible that he could have been moving to North Carolina rather than Portland. The Hornets invited both players to Charlotte ahead of the draft as they looked to finalise their selection.
The Hornets wasted no time in submitting their pick for Miller at number two overall on Thursday. However, a video soon emerged when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver read out Miller’s name.
A video posted on Twitter by Nick Carboni for WCNC Charlotte shows the Hornets mascot, Hugo the Hornet, in the crowd at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte to watch the draft in Brooklyn when the pick was read out. After Miller's name was announced, the mascot appeared to look disappointed by the pick, with it being suggested that Henderson was the preferred choice.
In separate videos across social media, sections of Hornets fans appeared to be displeased with the selection of Miller. In the months leading up to the draft, Henderson was the player tipped by many analysts to be the second overall pick.
Despite this, Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak confirmed after the draft that Miller was their preferred option all along. The Hornets GM went on to explain why the franchise decided to pick Miller and admitted it was a tough call to make.
"Obviously, there were two players that were heavily considered at that position. Brandon was the favorite all along," Kupchak told ESPN.
"It wasn't the easiest decision, but Brandon was our favorite all along. A lot of spirited discussion the last three or four days, which I welcome, and it's good for the basketball department to discuss pros and cons."
The NBA draft came just days after it was confirmed that NBA legend Michael Jordan would be selecting his majority stake worth 97 percent of the Hornets. However, it’s still been reported that the former Chicago Bulls star will still be involved with the franchise.
Miller, along with the rest of the 58 NBA Draft picks, will be looking ahead to the Summer League in Las Vegas in July. From there, the preparations will begin for the training camps in September ahead of the new season getting underway in October.
