The Charlotte Hornets pulled in undrafted point guard Eldridge Recasner ahead of the 1998-99 season, betting on the guy who just lit it up for the Atlanta Hawks. Recasner wasn’t some rookie out of college, either. He had already put in a serious shift during the 1997-98 season with Atlanta, averaging a solid 9.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, two assists, and 0.7 steals. Those are numbers that get you noticed, right? Especially when you didn’t even hear your name called on draft night.
From Atlanta Spark to Hornets Role
Before he even stepped onto an NBA court, Recasner was fighting uphill. He didn’t even make his professional debut until his age 27 season. Think about that for a second. Most guys are already veterans or on their second contract by then. So, to finally break in and then have an “impressive campaign” with the Hawks at 27, only to sign with the Hornets for the next chapter, that’s a story. He spent parts of four years with Charlotte, wearing that No. 3 jersey, trying to make his mark. He played 95 games for them. But the numbers tell a different story than his Hawks days. With Charlotte, he averaged 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.2 steals. It’s a real drop-off from what we saw just a season before.
An Eight-Year Journey Ends
Recasner’s time with the Hornets was a significant chunk of his eight-year total NBA career. After those parts of four seasons in Charlotte, his journey wrapped up with a brief five-game stint for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2001-02 campaign, which marked his final season in the league. It makes you wonder what could have been if he’d gotten his shot earlier, or if he could have maintained that Hawks form. He was part of a rich history for the Hornets, one of many to don the No. 3, a number worn by some serious players over the years including Tony Delk and Robert Parish. Recasner’s unique path, from undrafted to a late debut and then a solid eight-year run, tells you everything about the grind it takes to make it in this league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply