Veteran NBA beat writer Rick Bonnell, who covered the Hornets for The Charlotte Observer, was found dead in his home on Tuesday, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Bonnell was 63 years old.
If you’re a regular Hoops Rumors reader, you’ll certainly recognize Bonnell’s name. He has been one of the primary sources for Hornets news and rumors for over three decades, having reported on the franchise since its first season in 1988/89. We were linking to Bonnell’s stories on the Hornets’ upcoming offseason as recently as last week.
According to Fowler, Bonnell’s cause of death has yet to be determined, though police said there was no reason to suspect foul play. He was found by a friend in his Charlotte home at about 7:00pm on Tuesday evening.
While I never personally met Bonnell, he was by all accounts one of the friendliest and most generous reporters on the NBA beat. His passing has been met with shock and sadness by his fellow NBA reporters on social media.
“To sit next to Bonnell at a Hornets game, as I did hundreds of times over the years, was like sitting next to a hilarious version of a Hornets Wikipedia page,” Fowler wrote in his story about his longtime colleague. “… Bonnell also never lost the joy of covering a one-point game with three seconds left. He would rub his hands together sometimes when he was excited, almost like a kid, and he often did so just before a moment like that.”
We at Hoops Rumors send our heartfelt condolences to Bonnell’s family and friends. The Hornets beat won’t be the same without him.
He really was a name you recognize from being on this site. I sat courtside at a Mavs game when they played Charlotte. I saw him walk by with his press pass. Instantly recognized them name.
I don’t think I would have recognized any other city’s beat guy. Thought that spoke to the level of his reputation.
RIP.
RIP