The 1988–89 Charlotte Hornets season was Charlotte's inaugural season in the National Basketball Association. The Hornets, along with the Miami Heat, began play as expansion teams during the season. Led by ex-Pistons guard Kelly Tripucka, The Hornets finished the season with a record of 20 wins and 62 losses, and led the NBA in attendance, becoming the first expansion team to do so. Charlotte also set an all-time NBA attendance record, which was broken by Minnesota the following season.

The team's roster was filled as a result of an expansion draft in 1988. In a coin flip, the Hornets earned the right to choose either the higher choice in the college draft or the first pick in the expansion draft, picking the former. Most teams use such drafts to pick young players and guarantee a future, but Charlotte chose veterans in order to get a competitive lineup right away.

Also sent were Kurt Rambis of the Los Angeles Lakers and Earl Cureton of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Subsequent to the expansion draft, Charlotte was given the eight pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. They selected Rex Chapman, a shooting guard out of University of Kentucky.

The Hornets played their first season in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. The team's first official NBA game took place on November 4, 1988, at the Charlotte Coliseum, and was a 133–93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the huge loss, the Hornets received a standing ovation at the end of the game. November 8, 1988, the team won their first game over the Los Angeles Clippers, 117–105. On December 23, 1988, the Hornets defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 103–101 at the buzzer in Jordan's first return to North Carolina as a professional. During the season, Kelly Tripucka led the franchise with 22.6 points per game. Despite the Hornets mostly poor play (typical for an expansion franchise), the Hornets led the NBA in attendance during the season.

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