The Hornets' most successful season has led to a franchise-record number of appearances on national television.
The Hornets won their first division title last season and are scheduled for 13 appearances on national television next season. They weren't included in the original television schedule last season, though a handful of their games were later added to the television schedule as New Orleans was on its way to a franchise-best 56-26 record. An impressive 4-1 defeat of the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs and a toe-to-toe seven-game loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals further solidified their emergence as a viable national television attraction.
The marquee attraction of All-Star and Olympic point guard Chris Paul added to the Hornets' attractiveness to the networks.
The Hornets haven't been shy about declaring themselves legitimate championship contenders next season. Coach Byron Scott said he expects the increasing expectations "will bring a wave excitement and passion that even exceeds last year's run."
The Hornets are part of three televised holiday features, playing at the Nuggets on Thanksgiving night, at the Magic on Christmas afternoon, and at home against the Mavericks on Easter.
Another notable television appearance comes Nov. 21 when New Orleans returns to Oklahoma City for the first time for a regular-season game since it played nearly all of its home games there in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The NBA has also chosen to feature the Hornets during the preseason, sending them and three other teams to play games in Europe. They'll play the Wizards in Berlin and Barcelona.
