Charlotte Coliseum was once one of the liveliest NBA arenas and boasted a fun fan environment for Charlotte Hornets fans. It was also the largest NBA arena with a capacity of 24,000 seats; very similar to the size of Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. "The Hive" as it was nicknamed, was only home to the Hornets for 17 short years between 1988 and 2005. Between it's opening and 1997, the arena hosted 364 consecutive sellouts which was phenomenal for a small market club like the Hornets.
Businessman George Shinn was aware of the popularity of college basketball in the state of North Carolina and thought Charlotte would be a great fit for an NBA franchise. He was awarded the Hornets as an expansion team as were the Twin Cities, Miami and Orlando. However, he became very unpopular in the 90s when he refused to grant Michael Jordan a larger role in ownership, traded Alonzo Mourning and was accused of raping a woman. As a result, the attendance began to decline, eventually putting the Hornets with the worst attendance among NBA arenas.
By the 2000s, Charlotte Coliseum was aging quickly and offered very little in terms of club and luxury seating. Shinn eventually applied to have the franchise moved to another city because the city of Charlotte refused to construct a new NBA arena with public funds. A deal was finally reached when the city said they would build a new home for the Hornets as long as Shinn wasn't the owner. He subsequently moved the Hornets to New Orleans and Charlotte was promised a franchise by 2004.
The NBA's newest expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats played their entire first season at the Coliseum while awaiting the construction of Time Warner Cable Arena. Unlike many other NBA arenas, the Hive sat miles from the downtown area which often hinders attendances in other cities. Think Power Balance Pavilion and the old Richfield Coliseum. Time Warner Cable Arena was erected in Uptown Charlotte, a very active part of town with plenty of shops, restaurants and hotels.
The old Coliseum stood until June of 2007 when it was demolished. The former site is currently vacant with no plans to re-develop. May 'The Hive' rest in peace.
NBA Arenas
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