At the 1992 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets made Alonzo Mourning the No. 2 overall pick after Shaquille O'Neal and before Christian Laettner. Mourning spent three years in Charlotte, with teammates such as Larry Johnson, Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues, Kendall Gill and Hersey Hawkins. Before the 1995 season, Mourning rejected a contract extension and was traded to the Miami Heat (with Glen Rice being the centerpiece of the package going to Charlotte).
The Hornets turned over quickly. In 1996, Johnson was dealt to the Knicks, and the team drafted Kobe Bryant specifically to trade him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. By the 2002-03 season, the franchise had moved to New Orleans.
If the Hornets found a way to keep their stars together in their prime, Mourning believes Charlotte could have given Michael Jordan's Bulls a "run for their money."
He also remembers young Stephen and Seth Curry hanging around the team's practice.
Mourning spoke to ThePostGame and an American Express event earlier this summer, where he appeared alongside O'Neal and Doris Burke.
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