The visiting locker room inside AmericanAirlines Arena was nearly silent on May 1, save for the bursts of elation echoing through the hallways every time the door opened.
Inside these walls, the stench of missed opportunity lingered like bad cologne trapped in an elevator. The most successful season in modern-day Charlotte Hornets history—48-34 record, three playoff wins—had collapsed amid losses in Games 6 and 7 to the Miami Heat.
But as Hornets players dressed for their final bus ride of the season, pockets of optimism began to blossom. As rough as the ending was, the journey was equally sweet. Charlotte had perhaps found something to build on, having been one of only five NBA teams with top-10 efficiency rankings on offense and defense.
There was only one problem—five of the club's top seven scorers were headed to the uncertainty of free agency. At this moment, though, there was a tangible hope of keeping the gang together.
"Any time you make strides with a team...I think you do want to try to build on that," Marvin Williams told Bleacher Report at the time. "You want to try to bring guy ...
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Article written by Zach Buckley
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