The Pelicans were established as theNew Orleans Hornets in the2002–03 season whenGeorge Shinn, then owner of theCharlotte Hornets,relocated the franchise to New Orleans. Due to the damage caused byHurricane Katrina in 2005, the teamtemporarily relocated toOklahoma City, where they spent two seasons as theNew Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets before returning to New Orleans for the2007–08 season. In 2013, the Hornets announced that they would change their name to the New Orleans Pelicans[4] after the2012–13 season. Since 2014, the NBA officially considers the New Orleans franchise as an expansion team that began play in the2002–03 NBA season.[1]
In 22 seasons of play since the original franchise relocated from Charlotte, the New Orleans franchise has achieved an overall regular season record of 831–937 (.470) and qualified for theplayoffs nine times. Their achievements include two playoff series victories and one division title.
The Jazz briefly played in New Orleans in the late 1970s and took their team identity from the city's musical history.
New Orleans had been a founding member of the ABA with theNew 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: theNew Orleans Jazz (as a tribute toNew Orleans' history of originatingjazz 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 atLSU). Although he was considered one of the most entertaining players in the league and won the scoring championship for the1976–77 season with 31.1 points per game, the Jazz's best record while in New Orleans was 39–43 in the1977–78 season.
While theCharlotte 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 theCharlotte 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 theVancouver Grizzlies applied for relocation toMemphis, Tennessee,[12] which was ultimatelywon 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 eitherNorfolk,Louisville, orSt. Louis. Of the cities in the running, only St. Louis had an NBA-ready arena, theSavvis 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—theSt. Louis Hawks, who moved toAtlanta in 1968.
Investigations into theLouisville Cardinals men's basketball program uncovered information regarding a non-binding agreement made around this time period to move the Hornets to Louisville. At the time, Louisville officials were in the early stages of building a new arena. A group of businessmen and politicians from Louisville signed a non-binding agreement with the Hornets to move the team to Louisville, as long as they built a new arena downtown. Louisville officials were in the early planning process of building what would be theKFC Yum! Center. Louisville officials were eager to bring the NBA team to Louisville, whose last professional basketball team was the ABAsKentucky Colonels. However, Louisville Basketball's newly hired head coachRick Pitino and athletic directorTom Jurich were publicly opposed to the idea of bringing a professional sports team to Louisville, which led to the deal falling through.[13]David Stern recalled thinking "If Rick Pitino doesn't want us there, why would we go?".[14]
Finally, a new arena inUptown, which would eventually become theSpectrum 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, MayorPat McCrory vetoed aliving 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.[15] 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.[16] 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 theJazz moved toSalt 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 theCharlotte Bobcats.
In a 2008 interview withThe 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."[17]
The Hornets openedtheir inaugural season in New Orleans on October 30, 2002, against New Orleans' original NBA franchise, theUtah Jazz. In the first regular season NBA game played in New Orleans in over 17 years,[18] 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 thePhiladelphia 76ers in the First Round of the2003 playoffs. Following the season, the team unexpectedly fired head coachPaul Silas and replaced him withTim Floyd. The Hornets began the2003–04 season strong with a 17–7 start but sputtered at the end and finished 41–41. They lost to theMiami Heat in the First Round of the2004 playoffs. After the season, Floyd was fired and the team hiredByron Scott as its new head coach.
During the first two seasons in New Orleans, the Hornets competed in the NBA'sEastern Conference. The2004–05 season saw the team move to theWestern Conference'sSouthwest 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.
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 2008NBA 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 theSouthwest Division. Having clinched the second overall seed for the Western Conference in the2008 playoffs, the Hornets beat theDallas Mavericks in the first round, but then lost to the defending-championSan 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, andMardi 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 the2008–09 season with a 49–33 record. Facing theDenver Nuggets in the first round of the2009 playoffs, the Hornets were eliminated in five games. The Hornets started the2009–10 season with a 3–6 record and fired head coachByron Scott. General managerJeff 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 andMonty Williams was brought in as new head coach. The team finished the2010–11 season with a 46–36 record and qualified for the2011 NBA playoffs, where they lost to the Lakers four games to two.
In December 2010, the NBA purchased the Hornets fromGeorge Shinn for an estimated $300 million.[20][21]
Before the2011–12 season, the Hornets were considering trade offers for Chris Paul and he requested a trade to theNew York Knicks. The Hornets looked at many teams, including theBoston Celtics and theGolden 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 theLos Angeles Lakers and theHouston Rockets was agreed upon, but commissionerDavid Stern, acting as the President of Basketball Operations for the Hornets (which were owned by the league office at that time) rejected the trade.[22][23] On December 14, 2011, the Hornets agreed to a deal with theLos Angeles Clippers that would send Paul to Los Angeles in exchange forEric Gordon,Chris Kaman,Al-Farouq Aminu, and a first-round draft pick acquired by the Clippers from a trade with theMinnesota Timberwolves in 2004.
On April 13, 2012, it was announced thatTom Benson, owner of theNational Football League'sNew Orleans Saints, had purchased the franchise from the NBA for $338 million.[24][25] 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.[26] In June 2012, Benson appointed two senior Saints executives to supervise the Hornets: Saints' general managerMickey Loomis became head of basketball operations, overseeing general managerDell Demps, and Saints' business operations head Dennis Lauscha took on the same role with the Hornets.[27]
On May 30, 2012, the Hornets were awarded the first overall pick in the2012 NBA draft and subsequently draftedAnthony Davis. Some people believed that David Stern rigged the draft lottery to give the Hornets the first overall pick, citing a picture of Davis in a Hornets hat as evidence.[28] They also draftedAustin Rivers with the tenth pick (acquired from the Clippers as part of the Chris Paul trade).
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 theUtah Jazz – founded inNew 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.[29] The team name is inspired by Louisiana's state bird, thebrown pelican.[30]
The name "Pelicans" previously had been used by aminor-league baseball team that played in New Orleans from 1901 to 1957.[31] 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.[32]
Following the New Orleans franchise's 2013 disestablishment of the "Hornets" name, on May 21, 2013, the Charlotte Bobcats' ownerMichael Jordan officially announced the organization had submitted an application to change the name of his franchise to the Charlotte Hornets for the2014–15 season pending a majority vote for approval by the NBA Board of Governors at a meeting inLas Vegas, on July 18, 2013.[33] Then-NBA Deputy Commissioner and COOAdam Silver had previously pointed out that the league owns the rights to the name Hornets and that could speed up the process.[34] The NBA unanimously approved the name change starting with 2014–15.[35]
On June 27, 2013, during the2013 NBA draft, the Pelicans selectedNerlens Noel 6th overall, and traded him along with a 2014 protected first-round pick forAll-Star point guardJrue Holiday of thePhiladelphia 76ers and the 42nd pick,Pierre Jackson.[36] 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 2002expansion 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.
During the2014–15, for the first time under the name Pelicans, the team qualified for theNBA playoffs with a 45–37 record as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. They owned the tie-breaker over theOklahoma City Thunder by winning the regular season head-to-head series, 3–1, and they faced theGolden State Warriors in the first round; the Warriors swept the Pelicans in four games. After the season, the Pelicans fired coachMonty Williams.[37]
On February 1, 2018, the Pelicans acquiredNikola Mirotić in a trade with theChicago 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 veteransÖmer Aşık,Jameer Nelson, andTony Allen. Mirotić demanded a trade when former teammateBobby 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.[40]
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.[41]
In January 2019, Davis demanded a trade from the franchise, and was fined for publicly announcing the request.[45] On May 14, 2019, the Pelicans received the first overall pick at theNBA draft lottery of the2019 NBA draft, despite having a six percent chance to win it.[46][47] On June 15, 2019, the Pelicans agreed to trade Davis to theLos Angeles Lakers. In return, the Lakers agreed to sendLonzo Ball,Brandon Ingram,Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, to the Pelicans.[48] The Pelicans later agreed to trade draft rights of the fourth overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft to theAtlanta Hawks, receiving the draft rights to the eighth, 17th and 35th picks in the 2019 NBA draft.[49] The three-way trade was completed on July 6, 2019, marking the end of an era for the Pelicans.[50]
On April 17, 2019, the Pelicans namedDavid Griffin as the new executive vice president of basketball operations.[51] On May 19, 2019, the Pelicans named formerBrooklyn Nets assistant general managerTrajan Langdon their newest general manager, replacing interim general managerDanny Ferry.[52]
On June 20, 2019, the Pelicans selectedZion Williamson with the first overall pick.[53] The team also draftedAlen Smailagić andJordan Bone, both of whom were immediately traded to theGolden State Warriors andAtlanta Hawks, respectively. The Pelicans then receivedJaxson Hayes,Nickeil Alexander-Walker andMarcos Louzada Silva from the Hawks. On July 1, the Pelicans announced that they signed Williamson to hisrookie-scale contract.[54] However, the Pelicans began the2019–20 season without Williamson as he had a knee surgery following an injury in the preseason.[55] He made his debut on January 22, 2020, scoring 22 points in 18 minutes of play.[56] On March 3, 2020, Williamson was named theNBA 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.[57]
Brandon Ingram had a breakout season. On December 30, 2019, Ingram was named theWestern Conference Player of the Week for games played between December 23 to 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.[58] On January 16, 2020, Ingram recorded a career-high by scoring 49 points in a 138–132 overtime win against theUtah Jazz. Ingram gave the Pelicans a one-point lead with a fadeaway jumper with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation. This was beforeRudy Gobert was fouled and subsequently sent the game to overtime with afree throw.[59] Because of his breakout season, Ingram became anNBA All-Star for the first time in his career.[60] Ingram also won the 2020 Most Improved Player award.[61]
In a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pelicans landed 2015-16 Most Improved PlayerCJ McCollum as well asLarry Nance Jr. andTony Snell in exchange forJosh Hart,Nickeil Alexander-Walker,Tomáš Satoranský,Didi Louzada, a protected 2022 first-round draft pick, the better of New Orleans' and Portland's 2026 second-round draft picks and New Orleans' 2027 second-round draft pick.[63] Despite Williamson missing the entire season with a right foot fracture,[64] the Pelicans finished the2021–22 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 theplay-in tournament.[65] On April 13, 2022, the Pelicans defeated the tenth-placeSan Antonio Spurs 113–103 at home in the first round of the play-in[66] and two days later defeated the eighth-placeLos Angeles Clippers 105–101 on the road in the second round of the play-in[67] to clinch the eighth seed and New Orleans' first playoff berth since 2018.
The Pelicans selected Dyson Daniels with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 draft.[68] Zion would be selected for his second All-Star game despite only playing 29 games.[69] Other Pelicans players would also deal with injury but they would make the play-in for the second time in a row and would not advance to the playoffs.[70]
For the first time since his second season,Zion Williamson would stay healthy for a majority of the regular season, playing 70 games.[71] 2022 draft second round pickup Herb Jones[72] would make the All-Defensive First Team as the fourth Pelican to do so.[73] The Pelicans finished 49–33, just shy of 50 wins and advanced to the play-in for the third year in a row.[74] Zion Williamson dropped 40 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a loss to the Lakers.[75] In that game, Zion got injured, ending his season. Despite not having Williamson, the Pelicans beat the Kings and advanced to the playoffs where they would get swept by theOklahoma City Thunder.[76]
2024–present: Acquisition of Dejounte Murray and departure of Brandon Ingram
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.[81]
New Orleans Hornets primary uniform (2008–2013) 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.[81] 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.[81][82]
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 duringMardi 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.[81]
The New Orleans Hornets were sold to Tom Benson on April 13, 2012.[24] 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.[29] 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 thebrown pelican, the state bird ofLouisiana.[4][30] The team said in a press release that its colors would be navy, gold and red; each color is represented in the cityflag of New Orleans.[4] The team formally adopted its new brand identity at the end of the2012–13 season.[32]
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 byFrench 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.[83][84][85][86] 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.[87] 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.[88][89]
On September 17, 2015, the Pelicans unveiled a new alternate uniform, introduced as part of the NBA's "Pride" uniforms for the2015–16 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.[90]
In 2017, the Pelicans received minor tweaks upon switching toNike 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.[91][92] They also continued to wear their Mardi Gras-themed uniforms as part of the "City" edition series, which were updated annually.[93][94] 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.[95]
For the 2020–21 season, the Pelicans' "City" uniform deviated from the Mardi Gras theme of previous years and was modeled after theNew Orleans city flag.[96]
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.[97]
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.[98]
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.[99] 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.[100]
The "City" uniform used in the 2024–25 season mixed last season's uniform with the Mardi Gras-inspired look of the 2022–23 "City" uniform. The dark purple-based uniform featured "NOLA" in gold letters with neon green trim.[101]
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.[102] This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.
1 The 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 atLouisiana State University (LSU) and his professional career with the city's former NBA team, theNew Orleans Jazz.
From 2000 to 2014, the New Orleans Hornets had retired #13 in honor ofBobby Phills. The number was retired on February 9, 2000, after his death in an automobile accident in Charlotte. His jersey hung from the rafters of the Charlotte Coliseum until the franchise relocated in May 2002; it was then displayed in the New Orleans Arena until 2013. After the 1988–2002 history of the Hornets was transferred back to Charlotte, the Pelicans returned the number to circulation, while the new Hornets again had the number retired. In November 2014, Phills' jersey was returned from New Orleans to Charlotte, and it now hangs in the Spectrum Center.[104][105][106]
The NBA retiredBill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.[107][108]
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 theIndiana Pacers.[109][110] 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.[111] The Pelicans' prior mascot wasHugo the Hornet, who was part of the organization from 2002 to 2013. Hugo returned as the mascot for theCharlotte Hornets starting with the 2014–15 season.[112]
^abcde"Benson Family Unveils New Orleans Pelicans Colors and Logos".Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. January 24, 2013.Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. RetrievedDecember 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.
^Coon, Larry."NBA Salary Cap FAQ – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement".Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. RetrievedApril 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.
^"Pelicans Acquire Ish Smith".NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 19, 2015.Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2015.
^"Pierre the Pelican Injury Update".Pelicans.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. February 11, 2014.Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. RetrievedNovember 7, 2016.
^"A Hornet Comes Home".Hornets.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. June 5, 2014.Archived from the original on June 8, 2014. RetrievedJune 5, 2014.
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