CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte Hornets' media day was about establishing priorities.
And rightfully so.
The Hornets disrupted their own coming-out party before it began by addressing the latest in a growing number of domestic violence arrests that have recently tainted professional sports.
For the Hornets, it was Jeff Taylor who overshadowed their top free-agent acquisition, Lance Stephenson, on Monday.
Before the Hornets could boast about their potential and progress this season entering the start of training camp, they had to publicly discuss the issue and impact of Taylor's arrest last week. Taylor, a third-year backup forward, remains barred from all team activities as the NBA and law enforcement officials continue to investigate the incident that led to his arrest Thursday at a Michigan hotel.
Taylor, 25, is facing multiple misdemeanor charges, including one for alleged domestic assault on his girlfriend; alleged assault on a male hotel employee; and alleged destruction of property. He was bonded out of jail last week and is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 8 for a pretrial hearing. If convicted, Taylor is facing one year in prison.
The Hornets responded swiftly after he was charged and announced Friday in a prepared statement that Taylor was removed from the team until the investigations are complete. On Monday, an hour before second-year coach Steve Clifford and his players were to talk about their upcoming season, general manager Rich Cho scheduled a news conference on short notice to address Taylor's issue head on.
For nearly 10 minutes, Cho answered questions without really, well, answering them.
He has talked with Taylor, but won't divulge details of the conversation. He insisted the team learned enough in its initial investigation to deem it necessary to act "decisively and swiftly" because "it was the right thing to do."
But he confirmed Taylor would still be paid and that he deserved due process. It's unclear how long Taylor's suspension will last.
"We have a few details," Cho said. "But really, the NBA is investigating the matter, and we're going to let the process play out. I don't want to get into hypotheticals."
The news conference was heavy on cosmetics and light on convincing. Yet, as uncomfortable as Cho appeared in the moment, it was a completely necessary position for this team to put a face, a voice and some front-office muscle in front of the cameras and microphones to tackle an issue that hits all too close to home for Charlotte sports fans.
A flurry of domestic violence incidents have hit both the NFL and NBA in recent months. From former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his then-fiancée unconscious in a casino elevator in February, to former NBA No. 1 pick Greg Oden being accused of breaking his ex-girlfriend's nose with three blows to her face in August, sports executives are under fire as they fight to rescue their teams' image.
The Hornets apparently weren't satisfied with simply releasing a statement. They felt obligated to make one in the flesh.
Taylor's arrest came just three days after NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in response to questions about the NFL's recent number of incidents, vowed his league would "take a look" at its policies regarding domestic violence. The start to the Carolina Panthers' NFL season has been stained by the situation involving defensive lineman Greg Hardy, who is being kept away from the team as he appeals a July conviction for assaulting his girlfriend.
Taylor's incident leaves both major pro teams in the city grappling with the issue of domestic violence. And it's a fan base that will forever be haunted by one of the most heinous crimes in sports history, when former Panthers receiver Rae Carruth arranged the 1999 shooting of a woman who was eight months' pregnant with his child.
Domestic violence shouldn't be approached lightly anywhere. And there's certainly a heightened alert when it comes to these cases in Charlotte.
Michael Jordan's franchise was hyped about its makeover. Setting the NBA's agenda on how to handle team personnel engulfed in domestic violence incidents wasn't what the game's all-time greatest player had in mind. But the Hornets couldn't afford to tread lightly, or get this wrong.
"I can only speak for myself, but we have to try to sit back and let the higher-up people handle it," Hornets guard Kemba Walker said of the potential distraction caused by Taylor's case.
Jordan is as high as it goes with the Hornets, with the owner involved in discussions with the front office and coaching staffs late Thursday night and into Friday morning before a decision on Taylor was made.
Soon after, a team statement was released.
By Monday, taking a visible stand was required.
Under the circumstances, this talented, young and promising Hornets team was left with no other choice than to prove its media day priorities were in order.