The previous season, Charlotte finished 32–50 under coach Sam Vincent, and did not qualify for the playoffs.
In response to the dismal season, co-owner and basketball operations chief Michael Jordan fired Vincent and brought in veteran coach Larry Brown.
[1] True to his reputation for turning teams around, Brown kept the young team in playoff contention well into April.
They ultimately finished four games short of the first playoff appearance in their current incarnation.
Michael Jordan fired coach Sam Vincent on April 27, 2008, and subsequently signed legendary coach Larry Brown 2 days later.