Charlotte Hornets

Medical teams led by Joe Sharpe, the Hornets’ Director of Healthcare and Sports Performance and Head Athletic Trainer, have historically been a model of good health. During his 10 years in Oklahoma City, the Thunder finished as a top-10 medical unit six times, including three seasons as the healthiest team in the league. The trend continued once Sharpe returned to Charlotte as the Hornets finished with four straight top-10 finishes, a streak that ended last year. The sudden rise in games lost is primary the result of significant injuries to two players, Cody Martin and LaMelo Ball. Martin missed 75 games following knee surgery and Ball missed 46 following multiple ankle injuries including an ankle fracture in late February. Together the two players accounted for 46 percent of the team’s total games lost. Fortunately, the Hornets enter the 2023-2024 season healthy with Sharpe and his diverse and well-regarded medical team ready to prove last year was an anomaly.