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The Charlotte Hornets will play the Celtics in Boston on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, breaking what had become somewhat of a tradition for the team. The Hornets have played at home on MLK Day since the 2011-12 season, so this is unfamiliar territory for them.
Kemba Walker dropped a franchise high 52 points against the Utah Jazz on MLK Day earlier this year. Here are some highlights from that game:
The Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks — two teams that also play at home nearly every MLK Day — are also on the road this season. It seems NBA commissioner Adam Silver is trying something new this year.
The NBA also announced that MLK Day celebrations will be longer than just one day this season.
Looks like MLK will be a longer celebration. Game on ESPN the night before MLK Day. Different layout of timing.
— Pete Pranica (@PetePranica) August 11, 2016
(The ESPN game is in reference to the Grizzlies, not the Hornets.)
Rounding out the national holidays, the Hornets will also play the Toronto Raptors on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and Presidents’ Day (Feb. 15), as well as the Cleveland Cavaliers on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) and Milwaukee Bucks on Easter Monday (Mar. 28). They have Christmas off, which I’m sure the team is very happy about.
You can check out the Hornets’ full schedule here.