When the Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season, the city and the NBA agreed to create a new team in Charlotte for the 2004-05 season. Several ownership groups, including one led by former Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, made bids for the team. In the end, a group led by BET billionaire Robert L. Johnson won out. Johnson is one of the first prominent African-American owners in U.S. sports. The "Bobcats" name originated from him, since he is a "cat named Bob". Another notable co-owner is minority owner and rapper Nelly.

The team plays in the Eastern Conference's Southeastern division, along with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Washington Wizards.

The Bobcats held their expansion draft on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, picking up such seasoned players as Predrag Drobnjak and talented youngsters such as Gerald Wallace. They also traded with the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire the second pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, which they used to select Emeka Okafor. He went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2005.

Their first game was a 103-96 loss to the Washington Wizards on November 4, 2004. They won their first game in franchise history over the Orlando Magic 111-100 on November 6. Later, on November 23, the Bobcats posted a 91-89 win over the Detroit Pistons, becoming the first expansion team since 1971 to defeat defending NBA Champions. After the regular season, they finished with the best record in one of the NBA's summer leagues, the Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue. In the 2005 NBA Draft, the Bobcats drafted two UNC players: guard Raymond Felton and forward Sean May. With these two players, in addition to Okafor, the Bobcats hoped to build a young, solid foundation for future success.

--Wikipedia