Hornets Hoping Former Tulane Standout Sion James Can Help Change Culture

Tulane fans saw one of their former basketball players get drafted on Thursday night.

In the second round of the 2025 NBA draft, Sion James was selected 33rd overall by the Charlotte Hornets, making that the first Green Wave player to be drafted since 2018 when Melvin Frazier Jr. was taken 35th overall by the Orlando Magic.

While James might have finished his last season of college eligibility with Duke, his time in New Orleans played a huge part in his development as a basketball player and a man.

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The latter part is one of the reasons why the Hornets drafted him.

James is the ultimate team player and hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes for his team to win and be successful.

Charlotte hasn't had a lot of that in recent years.

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They haven't made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. They also have not won over 30 games in three straight years, owning a losing record in eight of the last nine.

Simply put, the Hornets need a culture change.

And that is exactly what they are getting with James as part of their four-man draft class.

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Joining James in Charlotte is fourth overall pick and his Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, former UConn Huskie Liam McNeely, who was taken 29th overall, and former Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who was taken one pick after James at No. 34.

This is a group the Hornets are relying on to change their culture, and the former Green Wave standout is going to be a major part of that.

What James' career looks like will be interesting to watch, but with his work ethic and tenacity, it's hard to believe he won't carve out a role for himself at the next level.

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