CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hornets center Moussa Diabate has officially entered the fan‑favorite frontier — now that he’s got a song written about him.
“I think each verse was only four bars,” Greensboro rapper and Hornets fan, Kevin “Kwarn” Warner said.
“The motor he plays with, how hard he plays,” Warner said. “Moussa plays like his life depends on it every single time he steps on the court.”
He’s greeted with a cascade of “Moooooose” every time he’s introduced or grabs the ball.
And on the floor, he scraps for every rebound — one of the NBA’s most relentless board‑getters — and takes flight for ferocious finishes that send his fans into a frenzy.
“I like when he dunks,” a few kids say. He’s a hit with the youngsters.
And of course, there’s the moose antlers.
Everybody’s got them — kids, adults, even teammates.
The ones the team sells in the Hornets Fan Shop for $10 have sold out at several games,
“It’s those little fun things, as kids, you always remember — oh, I used to wear those antlers,” Diabate said.
Before he was giving young fans core memories in the Queen City, Diabate grew up in Paris — by his own description, a “crazy kid.”
That inner crazy kid still remains every time Diabate tussles for a rebound.
“Yeah. I feel like I’ve always had that. Any event in my life, it was always where I needed to fight,” he said.
His mother showed him how. She emigrated alone from Mali to France, starting with nothing.
“Started at the bottom of the ladder. Living in hotels. It was tough,” he said. I got the chance to see my mom work very, very hard to get us out of situations. It’s a testament to her mentality and strength. It gave me an example of what I want to be — relentless, never give up.”
Diabate is the oldest of seven children — with six younger sisters.
“I’ve always been a protective brother,” he said. “They’re angels to me, they’re like my kids. I hope they can look up to me and be proud.”
Signed first to a two‑way deal, he fought his way to a multi‑year contract — and this season, a spot in Charlotte’s successful starting lineup.
Fans were already in love with their Moose before that February brawl with the Pistons.
Suspended four games, Diabate feared fans might turn on him.
“Funny enough, it was the complete opposite,” he said. “They loved it. Obviously you don’t want to see that, but it was the fact we don’t want to stand down.”
From Paris, to three different high schools, to Michigan, to the Clippers and the G‑League… the journey has been anything but simple.
But now — when the Moose is loose in Charlotte — it just feels like home.
“As a city, Charlotte is a hard‑working city,” Diabate said. “And through my game, I think they see themselves.”
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.