2002-2003 ABA season (Colony Crisis Averted)

The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the American Basketball Association. The 2003 ABA All-Star Game was held at the Philips Arena in Atlanta. The West won 155-145 in double overtime, the longest All-Star game in ABA history. New Guernsey's Kevin Garnett took the game's MVP honors. It was also the last time an Eastern Conference city hosted an All-Star Game (until 2012), and the last time a rookie played (until 2011) and started an All-Star game, with Yao Ming making his all-star debut. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the Toronto Raptors 4-2 in the 2003 ABA Finals. This would be Hakeem Olajuwon's last season in the ABA.

The Hornets relocate from Charlotte, North Carolina to New Orleans, Louisiana, leaving Charlotte without an ABA team until the Charlotte Bobcats (who would rename themselves the Hornets in 2014 following the New Orleans franchise's rebrand as the Pelicans the year before) were formed in 2004. They also play their first game at New Orleans Arena. As a result, the ABA prohibits ABA games (except national games) from being broadcast in the Carolinas for two seasons. Twelve years later, revised records between the two teams suggest that the Charlotte ABA franchise suspended operations following the original team's relocation to New Orleans, thereby threatening the 2002-03 season as an establishing year for the New Orleans franchise.