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Bernie Bickerstaff will return to the sidelines as head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats for the 2006-07 season to continue his plan of building a winning foundation from within and developing a system that focuses on teamwork, sacrifice and trust.

“I am excited to announce that I will be returning as head coach of the Bobcats for the upcoming season,” said Bickerstaff, who also serves as the team’s general manager. “In taking the time to think about my decision, I reflected on how proud I am of the progress we have made over the past two seasons and where we are headed in the future.”

The Bobcats recorded a franchise-best four game winning streak to end the 2005-06 season and posted victories in six of their final eight games. The team also posted a 6-3 record in April for the first winning month in franchise history.

Charlotte finished the year with a 26-56 record, eight wins better than the inaugural 2004-05 season and led the NBA with 10.2 steals and 17.9 forced turnovers.

The Bobcats will learn their position for the 2006 NBA Draft tonight, when the NBA Draft Lottery is held at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN, live from Secaucus, New Jersey.