April 22, 1987, marked the official birthdate of NBA basketball in Charlotte as the NBA Board of Governors granted the city one of four expansion franchises. Charlotte now owns the finest young frontcourt in the game in Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, and in 1993, Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal became the first NBA All-Star starters from the recent expansion teams. DID YOU KNOW? The Charlotte metropolitan area has the third-smallest population of NBA cities, but because the Charlotte Coliseum is the largest arena in the NBA (23,698), the Hornets have led the NBA in attendance three of their four seasons in the league. Kelly Tripucka scored the first point in Hornets history. SCORECARD. With a 117-110 triumph over the Golden State Warriors on November 20, 1992, the Hornets became the first of the late 1980s expansion teams to win 100 games.