- 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 ...
History of the Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team based in Louisiana. The franchise was founded as the Charlotte Hornets in 1988 and relocated to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, becoming the Pelicans for the 2013–14 season. Since joining the NBA, they have experienced great success on and off the court.
In their first season with New Orleans, they made it to playoffs, where San Antonio Spurs eliminated them, but that didn’t stop them from showing their potential as an organization. From 2014-2018, Pelicans had five straight winning seasons, including three playoff appearances and one trip to the Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors during the 2018 Playoffs run led by Anthony Davis, who won MVP of the regular season. During this period, Pelicans also acquired several young talents like Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic, etc., through trades or drafts, which helped them build a strong foundation along with AD. It was clear that Pels was heading towards something special under GM Dell Demps's leadership until he left midway through the 2017-18 Season due to poor results.
Since then, there have been some struggles for the organization, but things started looking up again when David Griffin took over as GM before the 2019–20 Season began and brought Zion Williamson into the picture after drafting him as the 1 overall pick, followed by signing JJ Reddick & Derrick Favors free agents deals same summer. With a core group of players already established, along with the addition of a few veterans, Pels looks poised to make another deep postseason run, if not next year, then soon enough!
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 – The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the most iconic teams in the NBA, and their nickname has a fascinating history. The team was initially known as the Charlotte Hornets when they joined the league in 1988. After relocating to New Orleans for the 2002-03 season, owner George Shinn wanted to honor Louisiana’s state bird by changing their name to “Pelicans.”
The brown pelican is an integral part of Louisiana culture and wildlife, having been featured on its state flag since 1912 and even appearing on some currency issued by banks before World War II. The species was almost driven into extinction during this period due to overhunting but has since made a strong comeback thanks mainly in part due environmental protection laws enacted throughout North America during the 1970s & 80s, making it more than fitting that this resilient bird be used as a mascot for New Orleans NBA franchise!
In addition, Pelicans have also become popular among fans because of how closely associated they are with the city itself – from being seen flying around local waterways or perched atop buildings downtown- making them the perfect symbol for both the basketball team & larger community alike!
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
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
7 / “Pistol” Pete Maravich
*Blue is this team’s history