The 2001–02 NBA season was the fourteenth and final season for the original Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Hornets acquired George Lynch and Robert Traylor from the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team trade, and signed free agents Stacey Augmon, Bryce Drew and three-point specialist Matt Bullard. The Hornets struggled playing around .500 in the first half of the season, holding a 23–25 record at the All-Star break. Jamal Mashburn only played just 40 games due to a lower abdominal strain, and was replaced with second-year forward Lee Nailon as the team's starting small forward. Despite losing Mashburn, the Hornets posted a 7-game winning streak in March, and finished the season second in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and quali