There is not a single professional athlete in the city of Charlotte — Panthers, Hornets, we could even extend it to the Knights and Checkers — that had been in the city as long as Cody Zeller had been prior to his signing with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
With the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the then-Bobcats selected Zeller after two awards-laden seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers. But even before that, he was Indiana Mr. Basketball, a McDonald’s All-American and top-15 recruit being courted by the likes of North Carolina and Butler.