New Orleans Pelicans
2023–24 New Orleans Pelicans season
New Orleans Pelicans logo
ConferenceWestern
DivisionSouthwest
Founded2002
HistoryNew Orleans Hornets
2002–2005, 2007–2013
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
2005–2007
New Orleans Pelicans
2013–present[1][2][3]
ArenaSmoothie King Center
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
Team colorsNavy blue, gold, red[4][5][6]
     
Main sponsorIbotta[7]
PresidentDennis Lauscha
Vice-president(s)David Griffin
General managerTrajan Langdon
Head coachWillie Green[8]
OwnershipGayle Benson[9][10]
Affiliation(s)Birmingham Squadron
Championships0
Conference titles0
Division titles1 (2008)
Retired numbers1 (7)
Websitewww.nba.com/pelicans
Association jersey
Team colours
Association
Icon jersey
Team colours
Icon
Statement jersey
Team colours
Statement

The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Smoothie King Center. Since 2014, the NBA officially considers New Orleans as an expansion team that began play in the 2002–03 season.[1]

The Pelicans were established as the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season when George Shinn, then owner of the Charlotte Hornets, relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the team temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City, where they spent two seasons as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets before returning to New Orleans for the 2007–08 season. In 2013, the Hornets announced that they would change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans[4] after the 2012–13 season.

In 18 seasons of play since the original franchise relocated from Charlotte, the New Orleans franchise has achieved an overall regular season record of 740–864 (.461) and qualified for the playoffs eight times. Their achievements include two playoff series victories and one division title.

Franchise history

Basketball in New Orleans

New Orleans had been a founding member of the ABA with the New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–1970), but the lack of a dedicated arena and a poor performance record led the team to relocate to Memphis. The city acquired an NBA expansion franchise in June 1974: the New Orleans Jazz (as a tribute to New Orleans' history of originating jazz music). The team faced a number of the same logistical and financial woes, and relocated to Salt Lake City in 1979–80. One of the few bright spots during the Jazz's tenure in New Orleans was the acquisition of "Pistol" Pete Maravich (who had played college basketball at LSU). Although he was considered one of the most entertaining players in the league and won the scoring championship for the 1976–77 season with 31.1 points per game, the Jazz's best record while in New Orleans was 39–43 in the 1977–78 season.

In 1994, the Minnesota Timberwolves were suffering financially and an ownership group almost purchased the team and moved it to New Orleans. The Timberwolves would have played at the Louisiana Superdome until a new arena was constructed. Financial problems, however, led to the NBA blocking the move. New Orleans would attempt to chase the Vancouver Grizzlies before finally landing another team in 2002.

2002–2005: The relocation and early years in New Orleans

Smoothie King Center, the home arena of the New Orleans Pelicans

While the Charlotte Hornets put a competitive team on the court throughout the 1990s, the team's attendance began falling dramatically. Many attributed this lapse in popularity to the team's owner, George Shinn, who was slowly becoming despised by the people of the city.[11] In 1997, a Charlotte woman claimed that Shinn had raped her, and the resulting trial severely tarnished his reputation in the city. The consensus was that while Charlotte was a basketball city, fans took out their anger at Shinn on the team. Shinn had also become discontented with the Charlotte Coliseum, which had been considered state-of-the-art when it opened but had since been considered obsolete due to a limited number of luxury boxes. On March 26, 2001, both the Hornets and the Vancouver Grizzlies applied for relocation to Memphis, Tennessee,[12] which was ultimately won by the Grizzlies. Shinn then issued an ultimatum that unless the city built a new arena at no cost to him, the Hornets would leave town. The city initially refused, leading Shinn to consider moving the team to either Norfolk, Louisville, or St. Louis. Of the cities in the running, only St. Louis had an NBA-ready arena, the Savvis Center, already in place and was a larger media market than Charlotte at the time; also, it was the only one of the four to have previously hosted an NBA franchise—the St. Louis Hawks, who moved to Atlanta in 1968.

Finally, a new arena in Uptown, which would eventually become the Spectrum Center, was included in a non-binding referendum for a larger arts-related package, and Shinn withdrew his application to move the team. Polls showed the referendum on its way to passage. However, just days before the referendum, Mayor Pat McCrory vetoed a living wage ordinance. The veto prompted many of the city's African American ministers to oppose the referendum; they felt it was immoral for the city to build a new arena when city employees were not paid enough to make a living.[13] After the referendum failed, city leaders devised a plan to build a new arena in a way that did not require voter support, but made it known that they would not even consider building it unless Shinn sold the team. While even the NBA acknowledged that Shinn had alienated fans, league officials felt such a demand would anger other owners as it could set a precedent.[14] The city council refused to remove the statement, leading the Hornets to request a move to New Orleans—a move which would eventually return the NBA to that city for the first time since the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. Before the Hornets were eliminated from the playoffs, the NBA approved the move. As part of a deal, the NBA promised that Charlotte would get a new team, which took the court two years later as the Charlotte Bobcats.

In a 2008 interview with The Charlotte Observer, Shinn, who has not returned to Charlotte since the Hornets moved, admitted that the "bad judgment I made in my life" played a role in the Hornets' departure. He also said that if he had it to do all over again, he would not have withdrawn from the public after the sexual assault trial. Shinn emphasized how he was making amends by committing to New Orleans saying, "I've made enough mistakes in my life. I'm not going to make one here. This city needs us here. We're going to make this (New Orleans) thing work."[15]

The Hornets opened their inaugural season in New Orleans on October 30, 2002, against New Orleans' original NBA franchise, the Utah Jazz. In the first regular season NBA game played in New Orleans in over 17 years,[16] the Hornets defeated the Jazz 100–75, and posthumously retired #7 of "Pistol" Pete Maravich during halftime. The Hornets finished the season with a 47–35 record but were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the 2003 playoffs. Following the season, the team unexpectedly fired head coach Paul Silas and replaced him with Tim Floyd. The Hornets began the 2003–04 season strong with a 17–7 start but sputtered at the end and finished 41–41. They lost to the Miami Heat in the First Round of the 2004 playoffs. After the season, Floyd was fired and the team hired Byron Scott as its new head coach.

During the first two seasons in New Orleans, the Hornets competed in the NBA's Eastern Conference. The 2004–05 season saw the team move to the Western Conference's Southwest Division to even the number of teams in each conference after the Charlotte Bobcats started play in their inaugural season of that same year. In a season marred by injuries to the team's three all-stars, the team finished the year with a franchise-worst record of 18–64.

2005–2011: The Chris Paul era

Chris Paul, selected by the Hornets as the fourth pick of the 2005 NBA draft

In the subsequent draft, the Hornets used their first-round pick to select point guard Chris Paul out of Wake Forest University. Because of the catastrophic devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina upon the communities of southeastern Louisiana, the Hornets franchise temporarily relocated its base of operations to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 2005–06 and 2006–07, posting records of 38–44 and 39–43 respectively.[17] During this time, the franchise was known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. In these two seasons, most home games were played at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, while a few remained at New Orleans Arena. One year after the Hornets moved back to New Orleans permanently, the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Hornets franchise returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season, with all 41 home games in the New Orleans Arena. The 2008 NBA All-Star Game and its accompanying festivities were awarded to New Orleans and a serious marketing campaign was commenced in February 2007. Healthier than previous seasons, the Hornets opened the season with a 29–12 record at the halfway mark, completing the regular season with a record of 56–26, making the season their most successful ever. The Hornets also won their first division title, winning the Southwest Division. Having clinched the second overall seed for the Western Conference in the 2008 playoffs, the Hornets beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, but then lost to the defending-champion San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the conference semifinals.

In August 2008, the Hornets unveiled a modified logo and new uniforms with the colors of Creole blue, purple, and Mardi Gras gold. Pinstripes were also added to the uniforms. The Hornets also introduced a new gold alternate uniform in 2010 which was used mostly in games played on Saturday at home and on the road. The Hornets finished the 2008–09 season with a 49–33 record. Facing the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, the Hornets were eliminated in five games. The Hornets started the 2009–10 season with a 3–6 record and fired head coach Byron Scott. General manager Jeff Bower took over the head coaching duties for the remainder of the season. The Hornets finished the season with a 37–45 record and last in the Southwest Division they had won two seasons prior. Jeff Bower resigned as head coach and Monty Williams was brought in as new head coach. The team finished the 2010–11 season with a 46–36 record and qualified for the 2011 NBA playoffs, where they lost to the Lakers four games to two.

In December 2010, the NBA purchased the Hornets from George Shinn for an estimated $300 million.[18][19]

2011: The departure of Chris Paul

Before the 2011–12 season, the Hornets were considering trade offers for Chris Paul and he requested a trade to the New York Knicks. The Hornets looked at many teams, including the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors as trade partners, but Paul had made it clear he wanted to be traded to New York or Los Angeles. A three-team trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets was agreed upon, but commissioner David Stern, acting as the President of Basketball Operations for the Hornets (which were owned by the league office at that time) rejected the trade.[20][21] On December 14, 2011, the Hornets agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers that would send Paul to Los Angeles in exchange for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu, and a first-round draft pick acquired by the Clippers from a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004.

2012–2019: The Anthony Davis era

2012–2013: Beginning the Anthony Davis era

On April 13, 2012, it was announced that Tom Benson, owner of the National Football League's New Orleans Saints, had purchased the franchise from the NBA for $338 million.[22][23] In addition, Benson announced that he would change the team name to something that would better suit the region, fueling rumors that the Hornets name could one day return to Charlotte, where the Charlotte Bobcats had been playing since 2004.[24] In June 2012, Benson appointed two senior Saints executives to supervise the Hornets: Saints' general manager Mickey Loomis became head of basketball operations, overseeing general manager Dell Demps, and Saints' business operations head Dennis Lauscha took on the same role with the Hornets.[25]

The Hornets traded Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza to the Wizards for Rashard Lewis, whom they bought out, and a draft pick.

On May 30, 2012, the Hornets were awarded the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft and subsequently drafted Anthony Davis. They also drafted Austin Rivers with the tenth pick (acquired from the Clippers as part of the Chris Paul trade).

On July 11, 2012, Ryan Anderson, 2012's Most Improved Player and three-point field goals leader, was acquired by the New Orleans Hornets in a sign-and-trade with the Orlando Magic for Gustavo Ayón.

2013–2015: Hornets to Pelicans

Anthony Davis, seen here in 2014, was drafted first overall by the Pelicans in 2012 and subsequently became the focal point of the team for many years.

New owner Tom Benson had indicated early in his ownership that he wished to change the team's name to something more local, even preferring that the Utah Jazz – founded in New Orleans in 1974 and played there until 1979 – give up the "Jazz" name, but the Jazz indicated they had no interest in returning the name due to over 30 years of history associated with it. Benson had also heavily favored the names "Brass" and "Krewe".

However, on December 4, 2012, it was reported that the Hornets would change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans beginning with the 2013–14 season.[26] The team name is inspired by Louisiana's state bird, the brown pelican.[27]

The name "Pelicans" previously had been used by a minor-league baseball team that played in New Orleans from 1901 to 1957.[28] The Hornets organization officially confirmed the name change in a press conference held on January 24, 2013, where officials unveiled the team's new logos and navy blue–gold–red color scheme.[4] On April 18, 2013, after the end of the team's 2012–13 season, the team's name was officially changed to the Pelicans.[29]

Following the New Orleans franchise's 2013 disestablishment of the "Hornets" name, on May 21, 2013, the Charlotte Bobcats' owner Michael Jordan officially announced the organization had submitted an application to change the name of his franchise to the Charlotte Hornets for the 2014–15 season pending a majority vote for approval by the NBA Board of Governors at a meeting in Las Vegas, on July 18, 2013.[30] Then-NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Adam Silver had previously pointed out that the league owns the rights to the name Hornets and that could speed up the process.[31] The NBA unanimously approved the name change starting with 2014–15.[32]

On June 27, 2013, during the 2013 NBA draft, the Pelicans selected Nerlens Noel 6th overall, and traded him along with a 2014 protected first-round pick for All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday of the Philadelphia 76ers and the 42nd pick, Pierre Jackson.[33] At a May 20, 2014, press conference announcing the Charlotte Bobcats' official team name change to Hornets, it was also announced that the Pelicans agreed to transfer the records and statistics of the original Hornets (1988–2002) to the current Charlotte franchise, thus unifying all of Charlotte's NBA basketball history under one franchise; the team records and statistics since the 2002 move to New Orleans would be retained by the Pelicans, retroactively turning the Pelicans into a 2002 expansion team.[1] As a result, the Hornets are considered in the league records as having suspended operations from 2002 to 2004, became the Bobcats from 2004 to 2014, and then the Hornets again.

2015: Return to the playoffs

Alvin Gentry coached the team from 2015 to 2020

During the 2014–15, for the first time under the name Pelicans, the team qualified for the NBA playoffs with a 45–37 record as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They owned the tie-breaker over the Oklahoma City Thunder by winning the regular season head-to-head series, 3–1, and they faced the Golden State Warriors in the first round; the Warriors swept the Pelicans in four games. After the season, the Pelicans fired coach Monty Williams.[34]

On May 31, 2015, the Pelicans hired Alvin Gentry as the franchise's sixth head coach.[35] The Pelicans missed the 2016 NBA playoffs, finishing with a 30–52 record. They acquired the 6th pick in the 2016 NBA draft from the draft lottery and selected Buddy Hield from the University of Oklahoma.[36]

2017–2019: End of the Anthony Davis era

On February 20, 2017, the Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins in a trade with the Sacramento Kings when they traded Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway, a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2017 second-round pick in exchange for Cousins and Omri Casspi.

On February 1, 2018, the Pelicans acquired Nikola Mirotić in a trade with the Chicago Bulls. Though the trade went through, a previous trade for Mirotić to the Pelicans was called off when New Orleans did not want to pay for Mirotić's 2019 team option contract that Mirotić had signed with the Bulls during the off-season in 2017. The Pelicans received Mirotić and a 2018 second-round pick for veterans Ömer Aşık, Jameer Nelson, and Tony Allen. Mirotić demanded a trade when former teammate Bobby Portis punched Mirotić in the face during an off-season practice. At the time of the trade, Mirotić was the Bulls' leading scorer, and DeMarcus Cousins was injured. Mirotić played well for the Pelicans after the trade.[37]

On March 15, 2018, Tom Benson died from complications of the flu. Ownership of the Pelicans and the Saints were transferred to Benson's widow, Gayle Benson.[38]

The Pelicans clinched a playoff spot on April 9, 2018,[39] and finished with a 48–34 record. In the first round of the playoffs, they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in four games[40] and then lost to the Golden State Warriors four games to one.[41]

In January 2019, Davis demanded a trade from the franchise, and was fined for publicly announcing the request.[42] On May 14, 2019, the Pelicans received the first overall pick at the NBA draft lottery of the 2019 NBA draft, despite having a six percent chance to win it.[43][44] On June 15, 2019, the Pelicans agreed to trade Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Lakers agreed to send Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, to the Pelicans.[45] The Pelicans later agreed to trade draft rights of the fourth overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft to the Atlanta Hawks, receiving the draft rights to the eighth, 17th and 35th picks in the 2019 NBA draft.[46] The three-way trade was completed on July 6, 2019, marking the end of an era for the Pelicans.[47]

2019–present: The Brandon Ingram/Zion Williamson era

Zion Williamson

On April 17, 2019, the Pelicans named David Griffin as the new executive vice president of basketball operations.[48] On May 19, 2019, the Pelicans named former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Trajan Langdon their newest general manager, replacing interim general manager Danny Ferry.[49]

On June 20, 2019, the Pelicans selected Zion Williamson with the first overall pick.[50] The team also drafted Alen Smailagić and Jordan Bone, both of whom were immediately traded to the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks, respectively. The Pelicans then received Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Marcos Louzada Silva from the Hawks. On July 1, the Pelicans announced that they signed Williamson to his rookie-scale contract.[51] However, the Pelicans began the 2019–20 season without Williamson as he had a knee surgery following an injury in the preseason.[52] He made his debut on January 22, 2020, scoring 22 points in 18 minutes of play.[53] On March 3, 2020, Williamson was named the NBA Rookie of the Month for the month of February. During the month, Williamson averaged 25.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steal a game.[54]

Brandon Ingram had a breakout season. On December 30, 2019, Ingram was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played between December 23 to December 29. During the week, Ingram averaged 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 54.2 percent from three-point range. Ingram helped the Pelicans to a 4–0 week as a result.[55] On January 16, 2020, Ingram recorded a career-high by scoring 49 points in a 138–132 overtime win against the Utah Jazz. Ingram gave the Pelicans a one-point lead with a fadeaway jumper with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation. This was before Rudy Gobert was fouled and subsequently sent the game to overtime with a free throw.[56] Because of his breakout season, Ingram became an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career.[57] Ingram also won the 2020 Most Improved Player award.[58]

Following the suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season, the Pelicans were one of the 22 teams invited to the NBA Bubble to participate in the final eight games of the regular season.[59] On August 9, 2020, the Pelicans were eliminated from postseason contention when the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite Williamson missing the entire season with a right foot fracture,[60] the Pelicans finished the 2021–22 NBA season with a 36–46 record, which earned them the ninth-place position in the Western Conference and a chance to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament.[61] On April 13, 2022, the Pelicans defeated the tenth-place San Antonio Spurs 113–103 at home in the first round of the play-in[62] and two days later defeated the eighth-place Los Angeles Clippers 105–101 on the road in the second round of the play-in[63] to clinch the eighth seed and New Orleans' first playoff berth since 2018.

Logos and uniforms

Originally, the New Orleans Hornets wore teal and white uniforms, with purple and gold added as trim colors. In 2004, they added a gold uniform to the rotation, and in 2006, it became the team's primary road uniform, while the teal uniform remained in use as an alternate. The 'fleur-de-bee' logo was added on the right chest in 2007. All three uniforms only featured the city name in front.[64]

New Orleans Hornets primary uniform (2008–2012) featuring "creole blue"

During their two-year residency in Oklahoma City (2005–2007), the Hornets wore modified white uniforms with the team name in front. A teal hexagon patch with the acronym "OKC" inside adorned the right chest of their uniforms to represent their temporary home.[64] They also wore a special white uniform with "Oklahoma City" surrounding the number, and a corresponding red uniform worn during Valentine's Day 2007. The red uniforms were auctioned for charity. Both uniforms replaced the "OKC" patch with the "NOLA" patch.[64][65]

In 2008, the Hornets received new logos and uniforms, featuring lettering and numbers inspired by the wrought iron designs of the city. Teal was replaced with "creole blue", and pinstripes were added to the uniform. The following season, the Hornets began wearing a special uniform during Mardi Gras week; the design featured a purple front and a green back along with the "NOLA" wordmark in gold. Before the 2010–11 season, the Hornets brought back a gold alternate uniform, this time with pinstripes and the "NOLA" wordmark in front.[64]

The New Orleans Hornets were sold to Tom Benson on April 13, 2012.[22] After purchasing the team, Benson indicated that he wanted to change the club's nickname to something more regionally appropriate. On December 14, 2012, it was reported that the Hornets would change their nickname to the New Orleans Pelicans.[26] On January 24, 2013, the team held a press conference, where it unveiled its new nickname, logos and colors. The name Pelicans is a reference to the brown pelican, the state bird of Louisiana.[4][27] The team said in a press release that its colors would be navy, gold and red; each color is represented in the city flag of New Orleans.[4] The team formally adopted its new brand identity at the end of the 2012–13 season.[29]

New Orleans Pelicans navy blue uniform (2013–2017)

On August 1, 2013, the Pelicans released their new uniforms. The 'New Orleans' wordmark logo across the front of the jerseys is inspired by French Quarter street signs; the Pelicans are one of three NBA teams to wear the city name across the front of both home and road jerseys. The partial logo is featured on the sides of the shorts, and the "Bird-de-Lis" logo (a combination mark of the pelican, fleur-de-lis and crescent basketball shape) is featured on the back neck.[66][67][68][69] NBA teams were not allowed to have alternate uniforms during their first season of operation.

On September 23, 2014, the Pelicans unveiled a red alternate uniform for the 2014–15 season that would be worn four times in the year.[70] Prior to the red alternate uniform unveiling, the NBA announced that its league logo would be moved to the back neck of game jerseys for all 30 clubs; as a result, the NBA league logo replaced the "Bird-de-Lis" logo on the back neck.[71][72]

On September 17, 2015, the Pelicans unveiled a new alternate uniform, introduced as part of the NBA's "Pride" uniforms for the 2015–16 season. The short-sleeved uniforms feature Mardi Gras' signature colors – purple, green and gold. The tops are purple with green accents on the sleeves and sport 'NOLA' (a local acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana) across the chest in the Pelicans' signature font in gold letters trimmed in green. The Pelicans 'NO' logo is featured at the bottom of the v-neck and the Crescent City basketball logo is on the left sleeve in Mardi Gras colors. Additionally, the trim around the neckline is purple, green and gold-striped. Additionally, on the back of the jersey, the players' numbers will be gold with green trim, last name in white traditional lettering and the NBA logo will be featured at the base of the neck. The purple shorts will have green and gold stripes down the side with a small secondary logo – the "Bird-de-Lis" in gold centered on the waistband. The Pelicans' partial logo is on both sides of the shorts in Mardi Gras colors.[73]

In 2017, the Pelicans received minor tweaks upon switching to Nike as the uniform supplier. The white "Association" and navy "Icon" uniforms now featured an enlarged and condensed treatment of the "New Orleans" wordmark, in a manner similar to the red "Statement" uniforms with the "Pelicans" wordmark.[74][75] They also continued to wear their Mardi Gras-themed uniforms as part of the "City" edition series, which were updated annually.[76][77] And during the 2018–19 season, the Pelicans wore an "Earned" edition uniform as a reward for qualifying in the 2018 playoffs. The uniforms switched the Mardi Gras colors for the Pelicans' existing palette.[78]

For the 2020–21 season, the Pelicans' "City" uniform deviated from the Mardi Gras theme of previous years and was modeled after the New Orleans city flag.[79]

The 2021–22 season saw a number of teams wear "City" uniforms featuring elements from past uniform designs; this was to commemorate the NBA's 75th anniversary. However, the Pelicans' "City" uniform for that season did not follow the aforementioned template, due to the fact that the team already sold the Hornets trademark to the Charlotte franchise back in 2014. Instead the team wore white "City" uniforms bearing the current color scheme and "NOLA" lettering shaped to resemble a bird in flight.[80]

The Pelicans' 2022–23 "City" uniform brought back the Mardi Gras-inspired design they last wore in the 2018–19 season, but with a dark purple base.[81]

Prior to the 2023–24 season, the Pelicans updated their red "Statement" uniform, now featuring the words "Crescent City" in white letters with navy blue trim surrounding navy blue numbers with white trim. The striping was also adjusted.[82] Their "City" uniform for the season featured a black base with neon green letters, which were inspired by the vibrant night life of New Orleans.[83]

Personnel

Current roster

New Orleans Pelicans roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 15 Alvarado, Jose 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 179 lb (81 kg) 1998-04-12 Georgia Tech
G 11 Daniels, Dyson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 199 lb (90 kg) 2003-03-17 Australia
G 24 Hawkins, Jordan 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2002-04-29 Connecticut
F 14 Ingram, Brandon 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-09-02 Duke
F 5 Jones, Herbert 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 206 lb (93 kg) 1998-10-06 Alabama
G 13 Lewis, Kira Jr. 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-04-06 Alabama
F 32 Liddell, E. J. 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2000-12-18 Ohio State
F 8 Marshall, Naji 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1998-01-24 Xavier
G 3 McCollum, CJ 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1991-09-19 Lehigh
F 25 Murphy, Trey III 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 206 lb (93 kg) 2000-06-18 Virginia
F/C 22 Nance, Larry Jr. 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1993-01-01 Wyoming
F/C 50 Robinson-Earl, Jeremiah (TW) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2000-11-03 Villanova
F 37 Ryan, Matt Injured (TW) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1997-04-17 Chattanooga
G 0 Seabron, Dereon (TW) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2000-05-26 NC State
C 17 Valančiūnas, Jonas 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 1992-05-06 Lithuania
F 1 Williamson, Zion 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 284 lb (129 kg) 2000-07-06 Duke
F/C 40 Zeller, Cody 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1992-10-05 Indiana
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: November 3, 2023

Retained draft rights

The Pelicans hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA teams. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends.[84] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.

Draft Round Pick Player Pos. Nationality Current team Note(s) Ref
2022 2 52 Karlo Matković F  Croatia Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia)
2010 2 48 Latavious Williams F  United States Al-Ittihad Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) Acquired from Miami Heat (via Oklahoma City) [85]

Retired numbers

"Pistol Pete" Maravich uniform No. 7 was retired
New Orleans Pelicans retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure Retired
7Pete MaravichG1974–1979 1October 30, 2002

Notes:

  • 1 The then-New Orleans Hornets retired Maravich's number during their first game in New Orleans in honor of his basketball contributions to the state of Louisiana, both during his college career at Louisiana State University (LSU) and his professional career with the city's former NBA team, the New Orleans Jazz.
  • The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.[86][87]

Franchise records

Season-by-season record

List of the last five seasons completed by the Pelicans. For the full season-by-season history, see List of New Orleans Pelicans seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

SeasonGPWLW–L%FinishPlayoffs
2018–19823349.4024th, SouthwestDid not qualify
2019–20723042.4175th, SouthwestDid not qualify
2020–21723141.4314th, SouthwestDid not qualify
2021–22823646.4393rd, SouthwestLost in First Round, 2–4 (Suns)
2022–23824240.5122nd, SouthwestDid not qualify

Head coaches

Name Tenure Totals Regular season Playoffs
G W L PCT G W L PCT G W L PCT
Paul Silas2002–2003884939.557824735.573624.333
Tim Floyd2003–2004894445.494824141.500734.429
Byron Scott2004–2009436211225.484419203216.4841789.471
Jeff Bower2009–2010733439.466733439.466000–
Monty Williams2010–2015404175229.433394173221.4391028.200
Alvin Gentry2015–2020337150187.445328145183.442954.556
Stan Van Gundy2020–2021723141.431723141.431000–
Willie Green2021–present1708090.4711647886.476624.333

Home arenas

Mascot

Pierre the Pelican is the official mascot for the Pelicans. He was introduced on October 30, 2013, the opening night of regular season for the team at home against the Indiana Pacers.[88][89] The name for the mascot was selected by the fans through an online poll on the team's website. However, Pierre's unconventional design frightened some fans. The mascot's redesigned head was released on February 11, 2014.[90] The Pelicans' prior mascot was Hugo the Hornet, who was part of the organization from 2002 to 2013. Hugo returned as the mascot for the Charlotte Hornets starting with the 2014–15 season.[91]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 20, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  2. ↑ "History: Team by Team" (PDF). 2018-19 Official NBA Guide (PDF). NBA Properties, Inc. October 8, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  3. ↑ "NBA.com/Stats–New Orleans Pelicans seasons". Stats.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Benson Family Unveils New Orleans Pelicans Colors and Logos". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 24, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2022. The Pelicans' colors will be blue, gold and red. The team's primary color, blue, is taken from Louisiana's state flag. The Pelicans and Saints will share the color gold, uniting the organizations, while celebrating the spirited life of New Orleans and its many celebrations (gold is also a commonly found color on the "crown" of the pelican). Red represents fraternity and is indicative of the blood provision of the mother pelican and the vibrant color underneath the pelican's throat. All three colors are found on the City of New Orleans flag.
  5. ↑ "Logos/Marks" (PDF). New Orleans Pelicans 2023-24 Media Guide (PDF). NBA Properties, Inc. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  7. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans and Ibotta announce new partnership". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 25, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Willie Green named New Orleans Pelicans head coach". NBA.com. July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  9. ↑ Aldridge, David (March 19, 2018). "Future of New Orleans Pelicans stable, even as team mourns owner Tom Benson's death". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  10. ↑ "A message from owner Gayle Benson to Pelicans fans". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. March 16, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Charlotte Hornets (1988–2002)". SportsECyclopedia.com—. February 28, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ "CNNSI.com – NBA Basketball – Hornets to apply for relocation to Memphis – Monday March 26, 2001 05:47 PM". SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. March 26, 2001. Archived from the original on February 8, 2002. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  13. ↑ Boykin, Sam (December 29, 2001). "Other stories of note this year included "World Class City, Third World Paycheck"". Creative Loafing Charlotte. Archived from the original on November 29, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  14. ↑ "ESPN.com – Council willing to amend 'new owner' statement". ESPN.Go.com. Associated Press. February 16, 2002. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  15. ↑ Green, Ron Jr (November 1, 2008). "Shinn: I messed up in Charlotte". The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on September 9, 2012.
  16. ↑ "ESPN.com: Eye for victory". ESPN.Go.com. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Hornets to Play in Oklahoma City". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 21, 2005. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2005.
  18. ↑ Bennett, Dashiell (January 7, 2011). "Larry Ellison Confirms He Tried To Buy The New Orleans Hornets, But Was Beaten Back By The NBA". Business Insider. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  19. ↑ "NBA completes Hornets purchase". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. December 20, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  20. ↑ Ballard, Chris (October 24, 2018). "David Stern has no time for war stories". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  21. ↑ Beck, Howard (December 8, 2011). "N.B.A. Rejects Trade Sending Paul to Lakers". New York Times.
  22. 1 2 "Saints owner Benson buys Hornets from NBA". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Associated Press. April 13, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  23. ↑ Smith, Jimmy (April 13, 2012). "New Orleans Hornets to be purchased by New Orleans Saints' owner Tom Benson for $338 million". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Hornets seeking name change, set to build new practice facility". WWL-TV. April 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Mickey Loomis takes on top New Orleans Hornets job". NFL.com. Associated Press. June 19, 2012.
  26. 1 2 Moore, Matt (June 11, 2008). "Report: Hornets to change name to New Orleans Pelicans in 2013-14". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  27. 1 2 "List of Louisiana State symbols". Louisiana Division of Administration. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  28. ↑ Eichenhofer, Jim (September 27, 2013). "Pelicans nickname has century-plus history in New Orleans". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  29. 1 2 "New Orleans Pelicans Officially Adopt New Namesake". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 18, 2013. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Applies to Change Team's Name to Hornets". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 21, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Jordan: Bobcats changing name to Hornets". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 21, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  32. ↑ "NBA approves Charlotte's name change". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 18, 2013. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  33. ↑ Keith Pompey; Marc Narducci (October 17, 2013). "Holiday-Noel trade becomes official". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  34. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans fire head coach Monty Williams". espn.com. May 13, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  35. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans Name Alvin Gentry Head Coach". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 31, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  36. ↑ "NBA Draft 2016: Buddy Hield taken 6th by Pelicans". sbnation.com. June 23, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  37. ↑ Wojnarowski, Adrian (February 1, 2018). "Pelicans acquire Nikola Mirotic for three players, first-round pick". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  38. ↑ "Tom Benson's will names Gayle Benson as sole beneficiary, leaves estranged family out". The Times-Picayune. March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  39. ↑ Meagher, Sean (April 10, 2018). "NBA playoff race: Pelicans clinch with win vs Clippers". OregonLive.com. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  40. ↑ Amick, Sam (April 21, 2018). "No. 6 seed Pelicans make NBA playoff history with first-round sweep of Trail Blazers". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  41. ↑ Meagher, Sean (May 8, 2018). "Golden State Warriors eliminate New Orleans Pelicans, advance to Western Conference finals". OregonLive.com. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  42. ↑ Maloney, Jack (January 29, 2019). "Pelicans' Anthony Davis fined $50,000 for making trade demands public". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  43. ↑ "2019 NBA Draft Lottery Results". NBA.com. May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Winning Williamson: Pelicans land No. 1 pick". ESPN.com. May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Pelicans Agree to Trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers". The New York Times. June 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Report: Hawks trade up to get No. 4 pick; Pelicans get 8th, 17th and 35th picks". NBA.com. June 20, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Deals becoming real as NBA moratorium period ends". NBA.com. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  48. ↑ "Pelicans name David Griffin Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations". NBA.com. April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Pelicans hire Trajan Langdon as General Manager". NBA.com. May 19, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  50. ↑ Mahoney, Brian (June 20, 2019). "Pelicans select Zion Williamson with No. 1 pick in Draft". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  51. ↑ "It's official: Zion Williamson signs rookie contract with the Pelicans". nola.com. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  52. ↑ "Zion Williamson undergoes knee surgery, out 6-8 weeks". ESPN. October 21, 2019.
  53. ↑ "Pelicans' Zion Williamson feeling fine after debut, Alvin Gentry says". ESPN. January 23, 2020.
  54. ↑ "Zion Williamson named KIA NBA Western Conference rookie of the month for February". nba.com. March 3, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  55. ↑ "Brandon Ingram named the Western Conference Player of the Week". nba.com. December 30, 2019.
  56. ↑ "Pelicans F Brandon Ingram Scores Career-High 49 Points in Win Over Jazz". si.com. January 16, 2020.
  57. ↑ "Brandon Ingram named reserve for 2020 NBA All-Star Game". nba.com. January 30, 2020.
  58. ↑ "Pelicans' Brandon Ingram named 2019-20 Kia Most Improved Player". NBA.com. August 31, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  59. ↑ "NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play | NBA.com". www.nba.com. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  60. ↑ "NBA playoffs: Injury updates on Steph Curry, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis and more". ESPN. March 24, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  61. ↑ "NBA Standings 2021-22". ESPN. April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  62. ↑ Owens, Jason (April 14, 2022). "NBA play-in: CJ McCollum, Pelicans send Spurs, Gregg Popovich packing". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  63. ↑ Maloney, Jack (April 16, 2022). "Clippers vs. Pelicans score, takeaways: Brandon Ingram leads New Orleans to win over L.A. to clinch No. 8 seed". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  64. 1 2 3 4 Dave Leonardis (April 26, 2013). "A Farewell to the Jerseys, Logos and Style of the New Orleans Hornets". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  65. ↑ "Hornets' special red jerseys raise $22,000 for charity". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 2, 2007. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  66. ↑ "Pelicans Uniform Unveiling". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  67. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans Unveil New Uniforms". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 1, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  68. ↑ Creamer, Chris (August 1, 2013). "New Orleans Pelicans Unveil New Uniforms". SportsLogos.net. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  69. ↑ Lukas, Paul (August 1, 2013). "Uni Watch on Pelicans' jersey reveal". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  70. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans Unveil Alternate Red Uniform". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 23, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  71. ↑ "New NBA Swingman Jersey Features – Guide to New 2014–2015 Swingman Jerseys". NBAStore.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  72. ↑ Lukas, Paul (June 19, 2014). "NBA to move league logo to back of jerseys". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  73. ↑ "Pelicans Unveil Pride Uniforms in Celebration of the Spirit of Mardi Gras". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  74. ↑ "First Look: New 2017 Pelicans uniforms from Nike". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. August 11, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  75. ↑ "Here Are All of Nike's NBA Statement Edition Uniforms" (Press release). Nike, Inc. September 15, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  76. ↑ "Nike NBA City Edition Uniform" (Press release). Nike, Inc. December 27, 2017. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  77. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans unveil Nike City Edition uniform inspired by the vibrant colors of Mardi Gras". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 9, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  78. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans unveil Nike NBA Earned Edition uniform". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. December 12, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  79. ↑ "Pelicans unveil City Edition uniform, honor flag". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  80. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans unveil 2021-22 Nike NBA City Edition uniform". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  81. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans 22/23 City Edition Uniform: Mardi Gras". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  82. ↑ "Pelicans unveil new uniforms for 2023-24 season". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  83. ↑ "New Orleans Pelicans 2023-24 City Edition Uniform: NOLA Nights". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. November 2, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  84. ↑ Coon, Larry. "NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement". Retrieved April 13, 2014. If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA.
  85. ↑ "Pelicans Acquire Ish Smith". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  86. ↑ "Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA". NBA.com. August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  87. ↑ Golliver, Ben (August 11, 2022). "NBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No. 6". Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  88. ↑ "Pierre the Pelican introduced in first quarter". Pelicans.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 30, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  89. ↑ Golliver, Ben (October 31, 2013). "New Orleans Pelicans introduce new mascot 'Pierre' as part of rebranding effort". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  90. ↑ "Pierre the Pelican Injury Update". Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 11, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  91. ↑ "A Hornet Comes Home". Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
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