The Charlotte Hornets retired Phills number on February 9, 2000, after his death in an automobile accident in Charlotte. His jersey hung from the rafters of the Charlotte Coliseum until the franchise relocated in May 2002; it was then displayed in the New Orleans Arena until 2013. On November 1, 2014, Phills' jersey was returned to Charlotte, where it was re-honored and currently hangs in the Spectrum Center.

The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.

Rufus D. Lynx was the mascot of the Charlotte Bobcats from 2004 until 2014. The name comes from the scientific name of the bobcat, which is Lynx rufus. Once the team got the name Hornets back the team officially retired Rufus D. Lynx and welcomed back their original mascot: Hugo the Hornet.