The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association as a member club of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays their home games in the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season when then-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, George Shinn, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the franchise temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons officially known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The team returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. On January 24, 2013, the franchise announced it would rename itself the Pelicans, effective after the conclusion of the 2012–13 season. The Charlotte Hornets' name, history, and records from 1988 to 2002 were returned to its original city to be used by the then–Charlotte Bobcats franchise, which subsequently became the Charlotte Hornets, starting May 20, 2014.
Southwest Division
Location:
New Orleans
Arena/Stadium:
Lloyd Noble Center and Smoothie King Center
Owners:
Tom Benson
Head Coach:
Alvin Gentry
Mascot:
Pierre the Pelican
Alexis Ajinça
Power forward and Center
Anthony Davis
Power forward and Center
Charles Cooke
Shooting guard
Cheick Diallo
Power forward and Center
Darius Miller
Shooting guard and Small forward
DeAndre Liggins
Shooting guard and Small forward
DeMarcus Cousins
Power forward and Center
E'Twaun Moore
Shooting guard and Small forward
Frank Jackson
Point guard
Ian Clark
Point guard and Shooting guard
Jordan Crawford
Point guard and Shooting guard
Jrue Holiday
Point guard and Shooting guard
Nikola Mirotić
Power forward and Small forward
Solomon Hill
Shooting guard and Small forward