- 2012
- 2012
- 2012
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Tom Benson Owner of Saints and the Hornets
Saints owner Tom Benson has officially gained control of the New Orleans Hornets from the NBA. The completion Friday of the $338 million sale of the NBA club comes two days after the league’s board of governors approved the decision to sell to Benson. As part of the deal, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has approved the Hornets’ lease extension at ... -
Reborn as the Pelicans
New owner Tom Benson had indicated early in his ownership that he wished to change the team’s name to something more local. He preferred that the Utah Jazz, who had been founded in New Orleans in 1974 and played there until 1979, give up the “Jazz” nickname. However, the Jazz indicated they had no interest in returning the name due ... -
Drafting Anthony Davis #1
Davis declared for the 2012 NBA draft alongside the rest of the national championship team starting five: fellow freshmen Kidd-Gilchrist and Teague, and sophomores Jones and Doron Lamb. At the 2012 NBA Draft Combine, Davis measured at 6 feet 9.25 inches (2.06 m), 221.8 pounds (100.6 kg), and had the second-longest wingspan—7 feet 5.5 inches (2.27 m) of any player ...
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 club of the league’s Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays their home games in the Smoothie King Center (formerly known as the New Orleans Arena).
Established
1988
City
Charlotte – New Orleans
League History
1988 – Present / National Basketball Association
Team History
2013 – Present / New Orleans Pelicans
2007 – 2013 / New Orleans Hornets
2005 – 2007 / New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets
2002 – 2005 / New Orleans Hornets
1988 – 2002 / Charlotte Hornets
Nickname
Pelicans – 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. According to Yahoo's Marc J. Spears, they "considered the nicknames Krewe (groups of costumed paraders in the annual Mardi Gras carnival in New Orleans) and Brass," but settled on Pelicans—after the brown pelican, Louisiana's state bird.
Championship
NBA Championships 0
Arena
2014 – Present / Smoothie King Center
2002 – 2013 / New Orleans Arena
*Oklahoma City*
2005 – 2007 / Ford Center
*Norman*
2006 / Lloyd Noble Center
*Baton Rouge*
2005 / Pete Maravich Assembly Center
*Charlotte*
1988 – 2002 / Charlotte Coliseum
Owner
2018 – Present / Gayle Benson
2012 – 2018 / Tom Benson
2010 – 2012 / National Basketball Association
2007 – 2010 / Shinn and Gary Chouest
1988 – 2007 / George Shinn
Retired Number
7 / “Pistol” Pete Maravich
*Blue is this team’s history