Editor’s Note: Vice President of Fan Experience Jeff Munneke is a beloved member of the Timberwolves family, and as an employee of the team since the inaugural 1989-90 season, he has a lot of on and off the court knowledge about the team. That ranges from top halftime acts and coolest players all the way to season ticket eating venues and most memorable games. Each week during the 2013-14, Munn’s going to share that knowledge with us through top-5 or top-10 lists in this “Munn’s Musings” blog. Although we anxioulsy await and are excited about the renovations to Tatrget Center, I am also huge fan of history and nostagliua and the old NBA buildings with character. Over the course of time I got a chance to visit my top five either as a fan or whie enteraytining Twolves seat members:
5. Mecca (Bucks)
Got to first see my boyhood idol, Dr. J play on Milwaukee's colorful bright floor that I thought was the coolest in the league.
4. Charlotte Coliseum (Hornets)
The "Hive" had just shy of 400 straight sellouts and 24,000 seats literally with bee's buzzing around their ribbon board when Zo, Larry Johnson and Dell Curry got things rolling. Some of the most sincere and accommodating fans that we visited with some of our seat members but once the game was going don't expect to talk to anyone due to the noise.
3. Key Arena (Sonics)
Incredibly knowledgeable basketball fans that sat right on top of what seemed to be the tightest arena in the league. The court was lowered 35 feet to add in 3,000 more seats that had you packed in like sardines and the noise jumped off the ceiling tiles to create a deafening sound. The staff got to travel to game #5 1998 playoffs and had the opportunity to see firsthand how loud the building got when the Sonics rallied back from the Twolves halftime lead to win 97-84.
2. Boston Garden (Celtics)
In the last season of the Garden we were fortunate enough to entertain 16 youth and High School coaches on a trip to Boston that also included Kevin McHale getting honored before the game. As we entered into the building I recall each landing area being lit by one uncovered light bulb and how inconvenient it was to get there where you walked up many flights of stairs, had a really uncomfortable wooden seat and perhaps you are ducking behind a pillar BUT everyone in that building wanted to be there...it was communal. All the stories about floor boards, bolts missing, dead spots, hot locker rooms had eyes darting everywhere to not miss anything you could take back in your memory and tell your own stories about.
1. The Madhouse on Madison/Chicago Stadium (Bulls)
Obviously Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and company were a factor in making this venue great but the three tiered box layout, wooden seats, narrow aisles and a GIGANTIC pipe organ along with ear splitting acoustics made this my favorite of the old NBA arenas. Had the opportunity to see a conference finals game there when the decibel levels reached 133. My ears were ringing for three days and still get chills thinking about watching intro's(Alan Parsons Project).