Bread City Basketball

When the Hornets made their NBA debut in November of 1988, the Charlotte Coliseum was the largest venue in the league, seating 24,086 fans. The Hornets were a competitive team throughout the 90s, but during that time team owner George Shinn became one of of the most hated men in Charlotte. Somewhere between trading Alonzo Mourning and being accused of rape, Shinn caused attendance to sag. This, combined with the Hive’s lack of luxury boxes, made the Hornets one of the NBA’s least profitable organizations. The team moved to New Orleans in 2002. On June 3rd, 2007, the Charlotte Coliseum was destroyed.