New Orleans Pelicans are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference. Until the end of the 2003-2004 season, it belonged to the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The Pelicans play in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. During the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, the team played most of its home games in Oklahoma City because of damage to the arena caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The Pelicans entered the NBA for the 1988-1989 season as the Charlotte Hornets. The team moved from Charlotte to New Orleans for the 2002-2003 season. It changed its name to the Pelicans in 2013.
The team had its first winning season in 1992-1993, led by forward Larry Johnson, center Alonzo Mourning, and guard Kendall Gill. The team remained one of the strongest in the Eastern Conference throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Stars of the 1990’s teams included forwards Glen Rice and Anthony Mason and guard Eddie Jones. During the early 2000’s, New Orleans featured two of the top players in the NBA in forward Jamal Mashburn and guard Baron Davis. The team won its division championship in 2007-2008, led by guard Chris Paul and forward David West. In the playoffs, New Orleans lost in the second round to the San Antonio Spurs.
In the 2010’s, the Pelicans fielded competitive teams led by guard Jrue Holiday and star forward Anthony Davis. The Pelicans selected forward Zion Williamson first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Williamson made his professional debut in January 2020. The team returned to the playoffs in 2021-2022, led by forward Brandon Ingram and guard C. J. McCollum.
See also Bryant, Kobe; Cowens, Dave; Parish, Robert.
