GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets tipped off their 30th NBA season Wednesday night with a tough loss at home against the Milwaukee Bucks.
As the team took the court, it did so under a new general manager. The Charlotte Hornets hired Mitch Kupchak to take over as president of basketball operations this season.
Kupchak, a former basketball star at the University of North Carolina, has been part of 10 NBA championships -- three of which came as a player.
As the Hornets prepared for the new season, Kupchak sat down with WFMY News 2's Patrick Wright for one minute of rapid-fire questions.
You can read the full transcript below:
PW: Your favorite part about being a GM?
MK: Working with people in the office, watching players out in colleges and internationally and then working with our young players every day. That's the best part.
PW: What's your favorite basketball memory?
MK: Oh, Olympic gold medal. You know who the coach was, don't you? Dean Smith. 1976.
PW: Well, your favorite coach?
MK: Dean Smith.
PW: That's a pretty easy one, I bet. What was your favorite part about going to UNC?
MK: Well, I was from New York, so it was a dramatic awakening for me to come to the south in 1972, but very quickly, I became enamored with the people in Chapel Hill and in North Carolina, and I just can't believe I'm back.
PW: What did you want to be when you grew up?
MK: Baseball player.
The Hornets' next game is set for Friday at Orlando. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.