Hornets swingman Kelly Oubre awarded 2022-23 Rick Bonnell Award for media cooperation

Kelly Oubre has no problem speaking his mind -- and he’s being recognized for it.

The Charlotte Hornets announced Friday that the veteran swingman has been named this season’s recipient of the team’s Rick Bonnell Award. The annual award was established by the Hornets last year to honor Bonnell’s legacy, and is voted on by a 16-person panel that includes local media.

It’s given to the player who best represents himself and the franchise with professionalism and cooperation with regard to his interactions with the media. Bonnell covered Charlotte’s NBA franchises for The Observer, beginning with the original Hornets’ first season in 1988 all the way through the 2020-21 season, prior to his death on June 1, 2021 at age 63.

“This is huge for me,” Oubre said. “Every year that I’ve been in the league, I’ve tried to impact the community that I’ve been playing for and in. An award doesn’t mean much, but a trophy to me, to have that on my resume and behind my name means everything.”

Oubre is very cooperative with the media and always grants requests for interviews. He’s very thorough and detailed in his answers and doesn’t have any issues offering in-depth explanations – even during difficult times when it’s not an easy thing to do.

“Chatting with Kelly about a variety of topics is always a delight because he is always so introspective and very thoughtful in giving his innermost thoughts,” said Rod Boone, The Charlotte Observer’s Hornets beat reporter. “It’s a pleasure to recognize Kelly as the recipient of this year’s 2022-23 Rick Bonnell award.”

The award is just one of the ways the Hornets have celebrated Bonnell’s legacy. Additionally, the franchise set up an annual $10,000 scholarship for journalism students attending universities in North Carolina in honor of Bonnell, and also renamed Spectrum Center’s media entrance after him.

Being a professional athlete bears plenty of responsibility and Oubre doesn’t take it lightly. He’s fully aware of the correlation between the media and the players, and how reporters serve as a conduit to reach the fans.

“I can use my words very well and I understand the aspects game because that’s what makes the world go round,” Oubre said. “Without out you guys (the media) we wouldn’t really be nothing. We wouldn’t have anybody watching our games, we wouldn’t have any publicity behind our names.

“The media, there’s a lot of opinions toward it. But just to show everything respect, that’s how I try to approach life.”