Back in the late 80’s and the 90’s, the Charlotte Hornets were the toast of the town. The original Charlotte Coliseum held 24,000 people and sold out 364 straight games. It was the largest basketball arena in the country at the time of its construction and was a mecca for basketball, hosting the Hornets as well as an NBA All Star Game and a Final Four.
Things went south, the team moved south, and the old arena on Tyvola was torn down. Charlotte went a few years without an NBA team before the Bobcats were introduced to the basketball world with a ho-hum reaction from the community and the country.