Charlotte Hornets To Retire Dell Curry’s No. 30 Jersey in March Ceremony

The Charlotte Hornets made an announcement Wednesday. They'll retire Dell Curry's No. 30 jersey on March 19 when the squad takes on the Orlando Magic at Spectrum Center. Stephen and Seth Curry's father will become just the second player in franchise history to get this distinction, joining Bobby Phills.

"I never imagined it would happen," said Dell Curry, according to AP News. "It means so much to me."

Dell Curry played 10 of his 16 NBA seasons with Charlotte. That stretched from 1988 through 1998. He leads the squad in games played with 701 and sits second in points scored with 9,839, trailing only Kemba Walker.

The Virginia native won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1993-94. He averaged 14 points per game during his time in Charlotte. His three-point shooting? He hit 40.5% from behind the arc with the club and finished his career at 40% from distance with 11.7 points per game.

Co-Chairmen Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin made the decision after buying the squad from Michael Jordan in 2023. "Dell Curry has been a cornerstone of the Charlotte Hornets for more than 25 years — both on and off the court," said the owners in a statement. "He exemplifies what it means to be a Hornet through his professionalism, work ethic and commitment to excellence."

The squad picked Dell Curry No. 2 overall in the 1988 NBA Expansion Draft after stints with Utah and Cleveland. He helped push Charlotte to three 50-plus win campaigns, including a franchise-best 54-28 record in 1996-97, and four playoff appearances.

Dell Curry shot better than 40% from three-point range in each of his final seven seasons with the club. That ran from 1991-92 through 1997-98, making him the only NBA player to pull off this feat during that span. He ranks third in NBA history in bench scoring with 11,147 points.

The squad surprised Dell Curry with the news during what he thought was a routine interview. "Man, they got me good," said Dell Curry, per the Charlotte Observer. "I had no idea."

Dell Curry has served as the television analyst for 17 seasons. He works as an ambassador too. His sons Stephen and Seth Curry are both current members of Golden State and will be on an East Coast trip when the ceremony takes place.

"I still love the game. I love the fans," Dell Curry said. "They still look at my boys as Charlotte kids. They watched them grow up, play basketball at Davidson and Duke. My daughter played volleyball at Elon. It's home. And I never want to leave."

The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative Topps collectible card. Tickets are available at Hornets.com.