NBA Charlotte fans thrilled with Bobcats' debut

Thousands watched the unveiling of the logo.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The Charlotte Bobcats might not need Michael Jordan to draw fan support. New owner Bob Johnson seems to be a big enough celebrity.
Thousands flooded the center of the city Wednesday to see Johnson unveil the name and logo of his new NBA team -- even though the "Bobcats" name and color scheme had leaked out days before.
That didn't stop fans from cheering wildly when Johnson, the billionaire founder of BET, removed his suit jacket to reveal a black polo shirt with a menacing orange cat on the left breast.
At the same time, a backdrop was lifted revealing the new logo -- which bears a striking similarity to the NFL's Carolina Panthers logo -- and statues were uncovered to show they had been dressed in orange team T-shirts.
"This is unbelievable, I thought maybe a few hundred people would be here," NBA commissioner David Stern said. "So I am a little surprised to see such a wonderful turnout. But I could tell just from walking down the street with Bob that this community really loves him and is really embracing him."
Johnson paid $300 million for an expansion team to replace the Hornets, who moved last year to New Orleans after fan support dwindled and the relationship between ownership and city leaders had soured.
So it was thought that the new team would need a major star -- a la Jordan -- to create interest in the community. Johnson has had several conversations with Jordan about joining him in Charlotte as a partial owner.
But judging by the reception Johnson received Wednesday -- the mayor's office estimated the crowd at 7,000 -- he's doing just fine on his own.