CHARLOTTE – (September 9, 2005) – Charlotte Bobcats Arena hit another construction milestone this week with the installation of its practice court floor, signaling an official seven week countdown until the arena opens October 21, 2005 with the Rolling Stones.

The Charlotte Bobcats Arena practice court is the largest on-site practice facility in the NBA, featuring a NBA regulation size court running lengthwise in the space and two high school regulation size courts running widthwise for split-squad scrimmages. Bobcats coaching offices are located in the upper level of the facility, along with a viewing platform.

Charlotte Bobcats Arena practice floor is being installed over a period of five weeks in several steps:
Two layers of plywood are installed to create a uniform, stable structure. The plywood is held in place by steel channels that are inserted every two feet into the floor. A thermo plastic rubber pad is installed in every square foot of the floor to ensure the greatest shock absorbency possible.

More than 18,500 first-grade, hard maple tongued and grooved planks are laid to make up the court.
The floor is sanded and coated with a urethane sealer. Logos and game lines are painted and the court is finished with two additional coats of urethane.

Aacer Flooring provided the wood and technology for the practice court floor. The first-grade, hard maple planks are harvested by Aacer near Green Bay, WI and are installed utilizing AacerChannel technology to provide stability and shock absorbency, resulting in improved athletic performance and injury reduction.

“The practice court is another example of the first-class facility we are building,” said Barry Silberman, chief operating officer, Charlotte Bobcats Arena. “Our focus on every detail of the building, both for our teams and our guests, will make us the best new arena in the country when we open in October,” he added.

The practice court is located at street level on the north side of Charlotte Bobcats Arena and will be viewable to the public during open practices. The practice court space also will be utilized for overflow media for the CIAA and ACC basketball tournaments.

Charlotte Bobcats Arena, located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, opens in fall 2005 and will be home to the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, WNBA’s Charlotte Sting, and ECHL’s Charlotte Checkers. The state-of-the-art arena will host more than 125 events a year including sports, concerts and family entertainment.

CONTACT: Jamie Banks, Charlotte Bobcats Arena, (704) 248-3558 (o); (704) 258-3901(c); jbanks@bobcatsbasketball.com