The 2001–02 NBA season was the fourteenth and final season for the original Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Hornets acquired George Lynch and Robert Traylor from the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team trade, and signed free agent Stacey Augmon. The Hornets struggled playing around .500 in the first half of the season, holding a 23–25 record at the All-Star break. Scoring leader Jamal Mashburn led the team with 21.5 points per game, but only played just 40 games due to a lower abdominal strain, and was replaced with second-year forward Lee Nailon in the lineup at small forward. Despite losing Mashburn, the Hornets posted a 7-game winning streak in March, and finished the season second in the Central Division with a 44–38 record, and qualified for their third straight playoff appearance. Baron Davis continued to show improvement averaging 18.1 points, 8.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. The Hornets defeated the Orlando Magic 3–1 in the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, but lost 4–1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the New Jersey Nets. Following the season, Nailon was released to free agency.