The Charlotte Hornets have something not many other teams in the league can brag about – a nearly new arena: Spectrum Center. From center court to the outside of the premises, there’s something that makes this beautiful building stand out all across Trade St.
The Charlotte Hornets may not be the winningest team in the NBA by any means but they sure have one of the loudest and most loyal fanbases in all of the sports. And, as such, they need a top-notch venue where they can attend the games and root for their home team. That’s why the franchise pushed so hard for a new building that could better suit their needs.
So, if you’re looking to make a bit of a sports trip or are planning to visit Charlotte, North Carolina in the foreseeable future, we’ll walk you through the history of this beautiful building and will look to solve some of the biggest questions you may have about the home of the Hornets. Buckle up!
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Or Spectrum Center?
Before being known as Spectrum Center, this building has gone through several names: Charlotte Bobcats Arena in 2005, and Time Warner Cable Arena in 2008. Then, when Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable in 2008, the Time Warner Cable Arena became Spectrum Center.
How old is the Spectrum Center?
The Spectrum Center is actually one of the youngest arenas in the NBA. The ground broke on July 29, 2003, and it opened its doors on October 21, 2005. It was supposed to replace the former Charlotte Coliseum, which had been outdated despite being a massive construction. Being one of the newest buildings in the league, and hasn’t undergone many renovations, other than some minor works on the visitors’ locker room.
This new uptown arena located is located at 333 East Trade Street. It has hosted countless college basketball games and the NCAA tournament, with major universities visiting the premises. It also held the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) men and women’s basketball tournaments and is the home of the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, boasting an exclusive hockey configuration. One major feature of this arena was its massive and original center-hung scoreboard, which has a 360 degree 3D mural of the Charlotte skyline. The Spectrum Center has a seating capacity of 19,077 for NBA games. It features four retractable auxiliary scoreboards and a large outdoor plaza where fans gather before games.
Controversies Around Spectrum Center
Notably, not many people were fond of this state-of-the-art building. For instance, Helping Empower Local People, a grass-roots organization supporting a raise in the minimum wage started a campaign against the first major renovations in the area and the construction of this building, claiming that city workers didn’t make enough money and the city didn’t need a new arena. It was also at the center of controversy for charging a $15,000 fee for graduation ceremonies held on the event floor. Last but not least, the NBA also moved the 2017 All-Star Game from the Spectrum Center due to the league’s opposition to the state’s Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act signed by then-Governor Pat McCrory.
Why was the Charlotte Coliseum closed?
Even though it was just 13 years old at the time, people around the city thought that the Charlotte Coliseum was outdated. Arena renovations would require plenty of time and money and it wasn’t that worthy, so they started pushing for new arena construction. It featured 24,042 arena seats and hosted countless sporting events, including ice hockey games, professional wrestling, and even the NBA All-Star Game in 1991. Notably, the Charlotte Coliseum was the largest basketball-specific NBA arena.
Why did Hornets move to New Orleans?
Rape allegations against Hornets owner George Shinn made the city of Charlotte boycott the team. Fans didn’t want any part of him and attendance drastically tanked. Other team owners knew that the situation wasn’t going to change any time soon. Also, Shinn didn’t want the team to continue playing at the Charlotte Coliseum, so he applied to relocate the team to Memphis. With the Vancouver Grizzlies eventually winning that bid, Norfolk, Louisville, and St. Louis were other options for the franchise.
Eventually, Shinn removed his bid to relocate the team as the city include a new arena (which would eventually become the new Spectrum Center) in a non-binding referendum for a larger arts package. Even so, the NBA already wanted nothing to do with Shinn and approved relocation to New Orleans. At least, the league promised to bring another team to Charlotte, paving the way for the ‘new’ Hornets to come. Years later, Shinn admitted his regret to The Charlotte Observer over this situation.
Charlotte Hornets: A History Of Ups And Downs
The Charlotte Hornets haven’t exactly been the most successful franchise in NBA history. Even so, they’ve been pretty storied and hold a bigger tradition than many other teams, but it has taken them a lot of hard work and struggles to be where they are nowadays. Founded in 1988 by George Shinn, the team was supposed to become a city-wide sensation in Charlotte, as the city had hosted notable NCAA basketball games for years and NC was one of the biggest basketball meccas in the nation.
The team wasn’t exactly notable during the first four years until they paired Larry Johnson with college basketball sensation Alonzo Mourning, putting together one of the most dominant and physical frontcourts in the National Basketball Association. The Hornets, however, could never get really far in the playoffs, thus they traded away Mourning to the Miami Heat to land Glen Rice. With Rice, Johnson, and the surges of Muggsy Bogues and Kenny Anderson, the Hornets were a perennial playoff team in the Eastern Conference.
Sadly, the Hornets could never take that step forward and even make it to the NBA Finals. On top of that, City leaders urged people to boycott the team as disturbing accusations against the franchise owner arose. NBA officials felt like the situation was unsustainable and, eventually, the NBA approved relocation to New Orleans after ticket sales plummeted drastically in 2002. The move was welcomed with widespread public support for the new team, which would eventually become the Pelicans.
After a couple of years, the NBA acknowledged that the city of Charlotte, a major hub for college many basketball games throughout the year, could use a replacement team after the Pelicans were born, as long as a new arena was approved. Eventually, Robert L. Johnson was granted permission to get an expansion team and the Charlotte City Council agreed to the construction after many years.
But not much great news came with the arena. The Charlotte Bobcats – as the team was called – were one of the biggest bottom-feeders in the league. Not even North Carolina legend Michael Jordan could turn the team around after buying a majority stake in 2005, and they continued to rank near the bottom of the standings through their entire tenure as Charlotte Bobcats until 2014. With the New Orleans Hornets agreeing to change their name to New Orleans Pelicans, franchise owners approved that the Bobcats went back to their former name.
Kemba Walker put the team on his back and tried to lead them through playoff contention but to no avail once again. The Hornets were in and ow of the playoffs and didn’t find much on-court success. He eventually left the team and it opened up the door for a new era in Uptown Charlotte. The Hornets now boast a young, up-and-coming team with a bright future ahead of them and for the first time in years, it feels like they could be one of the powerhouses in the NBA for many years to come.
With LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, PJ Washington, and young prospects like James Bouknight, the Hornets have an exciting team that’s a treat to watch. Such a statement shouldn’t be taken lightly, as there are several entertaining squads in the Association. So, if you’re ever in the area, don’t ever hesitate to go to trade street and watch one of the best-rounded rosters in the Association.
