Teammates past and present cheer on Dell Curry’s legacy as Hornets retire No. 30 jersey

CHARLOTTE — Two of the people just as excited to watch Dell Curry’s jersey raised to the rafters are his teammates of the past and present.

For nearly every Charlotte Hornets game, Dell sits side by side with broadcast partner eric collins. While back in the day, he played with fellow original Hornet Muggsy Bogues for most of both their careers.

They’re both teammates, and at different times, but Bogues and Collins share this: their regard for their friend, Dell, is through the rafters.

“Thirty is a really important number. In the basketball world, for years, 23 was the most important number that everyone knew and oh my God, this is Michael’s number; but now, 30 is iconic,” Collins said.

Collins and Curry have shared the Hornets call for years, to the point fans who tune in now hear two friends.

Collins says he was a fan, first.

“We are close in age, [I] was a huge basketball fan back in the ’80s. It was my passion … the most important thing, and he got traded to my hometown team," Collins said. “I got a chance to watch him, and his shot was so pure, and then one year after the expansion draft happens and the Cavaliers left him open for the expansion draft, and of course, the Hornets pick him up, so he was out of my life.”

As that chapter closed, this one was just getting started.

“What would go through your mind as you put the ball in his hands?” Channel 9’s DaShawn Brown asked.

“Well you know Dell and I played ... out of my 14 years and his 15-16 years, we played 10 and a half years together; and I’m quite sure out of all of my 6,000-plus assists, I’m quite sure he got half of them,” said Bogues.

Curry says it was one play that set the tone for his Hornets career, against Golden State on Nov. 17, 1989.

“What coach drew up, I didnt feel that in terms of going down the floor, so I kind of gave him his game plan, his instruction what he needed to do, and of course, I was able to penetrate and draw two guys to me,” Bogues said.

Curry hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer. For all of the moments and milestones, his friends said they’re more impressed by who he is.

“Well he accepted me, and that was the most important thing. He didn’t know who I was, we didn’t have any relationship. We just got paired together, and he accepted me for who I am immediately,” Collins said. “He never once said hey let’s tone it down, or let’s go over here or I don’t wanna talk about this. It was always I’m up! Let’s try it. And I think that’s helped my career exponentially.”

Bogues said it was a case of “opposites always attract.”

“I was the city kid, and he was a country boy,” Bogues said. “And we just really enjoyed each other. Vacations, moments off the court, in terms of being on the court for so many years, and it was a blessing just to share the court with my brother.”

(VIDEO: Hornets legend Dell Curry and son Seth continue basketball legacy together)