After waiving Jason Miskiri during the 1999-2000 NBA season, the Charlotte Hornets took a chance on Michael Hawkins, an undrafted point guard out of Xavier. At the time, Hawkins was 27 years old and only had 53 games of NBA experience over two seasons between the Boston Celtics and the Sacramento Kings.

Hawkins' tenure in Charlotte didn't last very long, as he played 12 games, averaging 0.7 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in three minutes per game. Hawkins would play one final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2000-01), suiting up in 10 games. He would eventually go on to play overseas, with notable teams like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid before his retirement after the 2005-06 season.