The following is the statement Bobcats President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Whitfield released Thursday afternoon concerning the chatter about the Bobcats exploring possibly rebranding.

From Inside Hoops:

We are aware of the impending change regarding the team nickname in New Orleans. We are currently in contact with the NBA and conducting our own due diligence relative to this matter. We will not have any further comment until we have completed this process.

With talks swirling about the Bobcats researching support has swelled for a rebrand back to the popular team name of Charlotte's pro basketball hey-day.

Considering this, it's easy to forget that some people may not be so on board with the change. Perhaps they've invested a lot of money in the Bobcats and don't want to be forgotten in favor of the noise of the recent Hornets supporters. Perhaps they don't care for the franchise to again be associated with George Shinn's name in any way.

Regardless, it's important to remember that such a change is not so black and white for everyone. It's good for the Bobcats to survey the thoughts of their most devoted supporters like this before jumping to a decision.