He was already in the position during the Bobcats days. After 17 years of service with the North Carolina franchise, Fred Whitfield leaves the Hornets ship today for health reasons.
“ Over the past 17 and a half years, I have had the privilege of representing the Charlotte Hornets as President and Vice President, and ultimately as a minority owner. But the time has come for me to step aside and focus on my health and my family “, he said in a press release.
He joined the Bobcats, of which Michael Jordan was the majority shareholder at the time, in 2006 and oversaw the significant development of the organization, including the name change from Charlotte Bobcats to Charlotte Hornets in 2014.
At the heart of the evolution of the franchise
Under his leadership, the franchise notably obtained renovations and a lease extension for the Spectrum Center, launched the Greensboro Swarm in the G-League and concluded agreements on TV broadcasting rights with FOX Sports and Ticketmaster for ticketing.
“ Over the past 18 months, I have successfully battled serious throat cancer. I also focused on supporting my mother, who has her own health issues. As these priorities took up more of my time and energy, I realized the time had come to step away from my role with the Hornets, who are on a path to success through energy and ideas brought by our new owners, Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin “, he justified, also thanking Michael Jordan, as well as Adam Silver and his predecessor, David Stern.
For their part, the new managers of the franchise welcomed “ Fred for all he has done for our organization and for the role he has played in helping our ownership group get up to speed over the past few months. His experience, knowledge and relationships in the industry, league and community have been invaluable to our franchise. We appreciate his hard work and dedication and wish him the best. »
