The shortest player in NBA history is going to the rafters. The Charlotte Hornets announced on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, that they will retire Muggsy Bogues' No. 1 at halftime of their home game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, February 11, 2027, at Spectrum Center. Bogues becomes only the third player in franchise history with a retired number, joining Bobby Phills (No. 13) and Dell Curry (No. 30).
Here is everything about the Muggsy Bogues jersey retirement: the date, the opponent, the jersey Charlotte is scheduled to wear that night, the full list of Hornets retired numbers (including the strange Bobcats-era gap), and the one name that should have been on this list before anyone else's. Tell us we're wrong.
Quick Answers
- Are the Hornets retiring Muggsy Bogues' number? Yes. The team announced it on October 27, 2026.
- When is the ceremony? Halftime of Hornets vs. Bucks, Thursday, February 11, 2027, at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
- What number? No. 1, the number Bogues wore for 10 seasons in Charlotte (1988-89 to 1997-98).
- What jersey do the Hornets wear that night? The Statement Edition, per the NBA's official 2026-27 uniform schedule. Milwaukee is scheduled to wear its Association (white) jersey.
- How many numbers have the Hornets retired? Three once Bogues' goes up: 1, 13 and 30.
- Who wore No. 1 before this? LaMelo Ball, from the 2020 draft until Charlotte traded him to Minnesota in summer 2026.
The Announcement
The Hornets broke the news with a video on X at 3:00 p.m. ET, linking the team's press release.
"To have my number retired alongside Bobby and Dell is an incredible honor," Bogues said in the team's release. Co-chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin said that "honoring the players who helped build this franchise is an important part of our commitment to Hornets history." Bogues, now 61, told NBA.com, "Me and the Hornets put each other on the map."
ESPN's Shams Charania reported it, noting Bogues has spent more than 20 years with the franchise as a player and team ambassador.
The Jersey Charlotte Wears on February 11
The Hornets Statement Edition, shown here in No. 1. Retail product image
According to the NBA's official uniform schedule for 2026-27, the Hornets are set to wear their purple Statement Edition against the Bucks on February 11, with Milwaukee in its white Association Edition. That means No. 1 goes into the rafters on a night when Charlotte is in the purple "HORNETS" wordmark set with the teal honeycomb side panel, not the white home set.
We like that call. Purple and teal is the color pair Bogues' teams made famous, and the honeycomb panel is the most Charlotte detail in the current closet.
Not announced yet: the Hornets have not said whether players will wear a commemorative patch, whether there is a fan giveaway, or whether the team will wear a throwback for the night. Teams sometimes change a uniform call for a ceremony game, so we will update this post the moment Charlotte announces anything. The full game-by-game list is in our Hornets uniform schedule for 2026-27, and Milwaukee's side is in the Bucks uniform schedule.
Every Hornets Retired Number
| No. | Player | In Charlotte | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muggsy Bogues | 1988-89 to 1997-98 | Feb. 11, 2027 (scheduled), halftime vs. Bucks |
| 13 | Bobby Phills | 1997-98 to 1999-2000 | Feb. 9, 2000; re-hung Nov. 1, 2014, vs. Grizzlies |
| 30 | Dell Curry | 1988-89 to 1997-98 | March 19, 2026, halftime vs. Magic |
That is the entire list. Three numbers in franchise history, and two of the three ceremonies fall inside 11 months.
No. 13 Bobby Phills
Phills died in a car crash in Charlotte on January 12, 2000, at 30, in the middle of his third season with the team. The Hornets retired No. 13 less than a month later, on February 9, 2000, the first retired number in franchise history. Then it got complicated: when the original Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, the banner went with them. Charlotte held a second ceremony and hung it again on November 1, 2014, at halftime against Memphis, after the Bobcats took back the Hornets name and history. New Orleans, now the Pelicans, later put No. 13 back into circulation.
No. 30 Dell Curry
Curry was an original 1988 Hornet and retired as the franchise leader in games (701), points (9,839) and made threes (929). Charlotte raised No. 30 at halftime against Orlando on March 19, 2026, with Stephen and Seth Curry in the building.
No. 1 Muggsy Bogues
Bogues was the No. 12 pick in 1987 by the Washington Bullets, left unprotected, and taken by Charlotte in the 1988 expansion draft. In 10 seasons and 632 games as a Hornet he averaged 8.8 points, 8.8 assists and 1.7 steals, and he left as the franchise leader in assists (5,557), steals (1,067) and minutes (19,768). He is still the only Hornet to average 10 or more assists in a season, and he did it twice (10.7 in 1989-90 and 10.1 in 1993-94). Those teams won three 50-win seasons, the franchise's first playoff series in 1993 and a franchise-best 54-28 in 1996-97.
At 5-foot-3, he will be the shortest player ever to have his number retired by an NBA team. CBS Sports notes the previous shortest was 5-foot-9 Calvin Murphy. Wake Forest retired his college No. 14 back in 1987.
The Charlotte History Quirk: Whose Numbers Are These?
Charlotte's retired-number list only makes sense once you know the franchise's family tree:
- 1988-2002: The original Charlotte Hornets. Bogues, Curry and Phills all played here.
- 2002: The team moved to New Orleans and took its records, and the Phills banner, with it.
- 2004-2014: Charlotte got an expansion team, the Bobcats.
- May 20, 2014: The Bobcats officially became the Hornets again, and Charlotte took back the 1988-2002 Hornets history and records. New Orleans kept its own 2002-2013 records.
So every Hornets retired number belongs to a player from the original 1988-2002 team. Not one Bobcats-era player has his number in the rafters. Which brings us to the problem.
Our Take: The NBA Has Gone Soft on Retired Numbers
We will say it plainly: retiring Muggsy Bogues' No. 1 is the wrong call, and it is part of a bigger problem. The NBA has gotten way too soft about retiring numbers.
A retired number used to mean something close to untouchable. Our standard is simple. If you made the Hall of Fame, your number goes up. If you did not, you have to be something extremely rare, a player who changed the franchise or the game itself. Being beloved, being a great teammate, being a fan favorite and staying on as an ambassador are all real things. They are what a ring of honor, a bobblehead night or a statue in the concourse are for. They are not what the rafters are for.
Bogues is a great story. At 5-foot-3 he is the shortest player in NBA history, he is Charlotte's leader in assists, steals and minutes, and he was the face of the teal-and-purple era. He is not a Hall of Famer, he never made an All-Star team, and his career averages with Charlotte were 8.8 points and 8.8 assists. That is a fun, important player. It is not a retired number.
He is not the only one. The Warriors retired Andre Iguodala's No. 9 on February 23, 2025, after a win over the Mavericks, the seventh number in franchise history. Iguodala was a Finals MVP and a key piece of four championship teams, and he is not in the Hall of Fame. We thought that was the wrong call too. A banner for a great role player on a dynasty is a team-ring banner, not a number.
And if Charlotte follows this with Kemba Walker's No. 15, as plenty of fans and even Stephen Curry have pushed for, that would be the wrong call as well. Walker is the franchise's all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points and a four-time All-Star, per NBA.com, and he was the best player of the post-2004 years. He is also not a Hall of Famer, and Charlotte never won a playoff series in his eight seasons there. Leading a franchise in points is not the same as being one of the greats.
The more numbers a team hangs, the less each one means. Save the rafters for the players who would be there no matter which jersey they wore. Tell us we're wrong.
More Hornets and NBA Uniform Coverage
- Hornets Uniform Schedule 2026-27: Every Jersey and When They Wear It
- Bucks Uniform Schedule 2026-27
- Timberwolves Uniform Schedule 2026-27, LaMelo's new closet
- NBA New Jersey Numbers 2026-27
- Every NBA Uniform for 2026-27
The Bottom Line
Muggsy Bogues' No. 1 goes up at halftime of Hornets vs. Bucks on February 11, 2027, with Charlotte scheduled to wear its purple Statement Edition. That makes three Hornets retired numbers: 1, 13 and 30, all from the original 1988-2002 team. Bogues is a franchise icon and a great story, but we think the NBA has gone too soft on retired numbers: Hall of Famers and truly transformative players only. Tell us we're wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Charlotte Hornets retiring Muggsy Bogues' jersey?
Yes. The Hornets announced on October 27, 2026, that they will retire Muggsy Bogues' No. 1 jersey.
When is Muggsy Bogues' jersey retirement ceremony?
Thursday, February 11, 2027, at halftime of the Hornets' home game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
What number did Muggsy Bogues wear for the Hornets?
No. 1. He wore it for 10 seasons in Charlotte, from 1988-89 through 1997-98.
What jersey will the Hornets wear for the Muggsy Bogues ceremony?
The NBA's official 2026-27 uniform schedule has the Hornets in their purple Statement Edition and the Bucks in their white Association Edition on February 11. The team has not announced a special patch or throwback for the night.
What numbers have the Charlotte Hornets retired?
Three: No. 1 Muggsy Bogues (ceremony February 11, 2027), No. 13 Bobby Phills (retired February 9, 2000, and re-hung in Charlotte on November 1, 2014) and No. 30 Dell Curry (retired March 19, 2026).
How many retired numbers do the Hornets have?
Two are in the rafters today (13 and 30). Bogues' No. 1 makes it three on February 11, 2027.
Why did the Hornets retire Bobby Phills' No. 13?
Phills died in a car accident in Charlotte on January 12, 2000, during his third season with the Hornets. The team retired his number on February 9, 2000. It was the first number the franchise ever retired.
Why was Bobby Phills' jersey retired twice?
The original Hornets took the No. 13 banner to New Orleans when they moved in 2002. After the Bobcats reclaimed the Hornets name and history in 2014, Charlotte hung the number again at a halftime ceremony on November 1, 2014.
Did the Bobcats retire any numbers?
No. Every Hornets retired number belongs to a player from the original 1988-2002 Hornets. No player from the 2004-2014 Bobcats era has had his number retired.
Do the New Orleans Pelicans still have No. 13 retired?
No. The Pelicans returned No. 13 to circulation after the move. Charlotte now holds the Phills honor.
Who wore No. 1 for the Hornets before it was retired?
LaMelo Ball wore No. 1 from the 2020 draft until the Hornets traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2026 offseason.
What number does LaMelo Ball wear on the Timberwolves?
He kept No. 1 in Minnesota for 2026-27.
Is Muggsy Bogues the shortest player to have his number retired?
Yes. At 5-foot-3, Bogues is the shortest player in NBA history and will be the shortest to have his number retired by an NBA team. The previous shortest was 5-foot-9 Calvin Murphy.
What are Muggsy Bogues' Hornets records?
He retired as the franchise leader in assists (5,557), steals (1,067) and minutes (19,768), and he is the only Hornet to average 10 or more assists in a season (10.7 in 1989-90, 10.1 in 1993-94).
Did Wake Forest retire Muggsy Bogues' number?
Yes. Wake Forest retired his No. 14 in 1987.
Will the Hornets retire Kemba Walker's number?
Nothing has been announced. Walker is the Hornets' all-time leading scorer with 12,009 points, and Stephen Curry called Bogues and Walker the next two "for sure" jersey retirements. We think it should not happen: Walker is not a Hall of Famer, and we would save retired numbers for Hall of Famers and truly transformative players.
Sources: NBA.com, Charlotte Hornets release via WDBJ7 (ceremony date, opponent, career records, quotes), ESPN, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, NBC Sports (Phills), NBA.com (Curry), NBA.com (Walker), Wikipedia (franchise history), the NBA's official 2026-27 uniform schedule (Feb. 11 jerseys). Cover graphic by ColorWay Sports.
