The Charlotte Hornets’ arrival to the arena for Wednesday’s NBA Play-In game versus the Atlanta Hawks was delayed.
By, of all things, a freight train.
State Farm Arena is surrounded by tracks, a relic of a period when the location was home to the city’s two main passenger terminals. Both stations were demolished decades ago, although many of the remaining lines are still used by freight trains passing through downtown Atlanta.
Prior to the game, one of those trains came to a halt at a crossing, preventing the Hornets’ chartered vehicles from accessing the players’ entry on the arena’s lower level.
The buses were forced to reroute to the arena. They were around 15 minutes late.
“That is something I have never seen,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “I’ve been going to this stadium for two decades and have never seen a train stop before to a game.”
He seemed to infer that the Hawks were responsible for the freight train coming to a halt at the crossing.
“It’s up to someone to sort it out. Borrego said, “I have no clue.” “However, our men took note.”
He claimed the delay energised the 10th-seeded Hornets, who were seeking their first playoff berth since 2016.
“It’s a fantastic source of fuel for us,” Borrego said.
