New Orleans Pelicans: NBA Team History, Roster & Schedule

Louisiana basketball fans have a complicated relationship with bird mascots. The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t just pick a team name — they inherited a franchise that bounced from Charlotte to Oklahoma City before landing on an identity that finally felt local.

League: NBA · Conference: Western · Division: Southwest · Arena: Smoothie King Center · Founded: 2002 (relocated 2002, rebranded 2013)

The key facts table below summarizes the franchise’s current configuration and ownership structure.

Why did New Orleans Pelicans change name?

The franchise that became the New Orleans Pelicans started as the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA expansion franchise established in 1988 (Dilemma-X NBA rebranding analysis). George Shinn, the founder and original owner, eventually faced dwindling ticket sales and insufficient community support in Charlotte, which led to the decision to relocate the franchise to New Orleans for the 2002–03 season (Lines.com franchise history). Once in Louisiana, the team operated under the Hornets name but struggled to establish a distinct regional identity.

The name change came in 2012, when Tom Benson — already the owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints — purchased the Hornets in spring 2011 and secured rights to rebrand the franchise (ESPN franchise report). The decision to adopt the brown pelican reflected Louisiana’s state bird, which Benson stated represents New Orleans “just like the Saints,” citing the city’s “incredible resolve” (ESPN owner interview). Commissioner David Stern indicated he would not object to any name Benson chose, clearing the way for a quick approval process (ESPN league statement).

Original name and relocation

The franchise’s journey from Charlotte to New Orleans wasn’t simply a business calculation. The Charlotte Hornets advanced to the playoffs on seven different occasions during their 14 years in North Carolina (1988–2002), demonstrating competitive viability even as attendance declined (Lines.com team analysis). The irony is that Charlotte eventually recovered its NBA presence: Michael Jordan, as owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, requested a name change after the Pelicans rebrand, and the Hornets name officially returned to Charlotte in 2014 (Lines.com franchise timeline).

The original New Orleans Hornets era included significant roster milestones: Chris Paul was drafted by the team in 2005, and Anthony Davis was selected first overall in 2012, coinciding with the final season before the rebrand (Lines.com draft history). These draft selections gave the Hornets competitive relevance during a period of organizational transition.

Rebranding decision in 2013

The 2012–13 rebrand brought more than a new mascot. The new Pelicans color scheme shifted from the Hornets’ teal, purple, gold, and white to blue, gold, and red — a deliberate visual break that signaled a fresh start (ESPN color scheme report). The brown pelican carries symbolism beyond aesthetics: the bird has become identified with efforts to restore Louisiana’s coast damaged by the 2010 BP oil spill and erosion from Hurricane Katrina (ESPN coastal symbolism report).

The rebrand also resolved a legal complexity. The Charlotte Bobcats retained rights to the “Hornets” name until 2014, when Michael Jordan’s requested restoration of the Hornets name for his franchise completed the circle (Lines.com name rights history). New Orleans kept its new identity without conflict.

What city are the Pelicans from?

The New Orleans Pelicans represent the NBA’s only major professional basketball presence in Louisiana. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, the franchise plays home games at the Smoothie King Center, a 16,000-seat arena located in the city’s downtown district. This venue has served as the team’s home since the original Hornets arrived in 2002.

New Orleans base

New Orleans isn’t just a occasional host for the Pelicans — the city’s identity has become inseparable from the franchise. Unlike some relocations that treat the host city as temporary, the Pelicans have invested in community programs and regional marketing that tie the team’s fortunes to Louisiana’s broader cultural ecosystem. The choice of the state bird as mascot wasn’t arbitrary; it was an intentional positioning as Louisiana’s team rather than merely New Orleans’ team.

Arena details

The Smoothie King Center opened in 1999 as the New Orleans Arena and underwent naming rights changes before settling with its current sponsor. The venue underwent significant post-Katrina repairs in 2005–2007 when the team temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City — not because the arena was damaged, but because broader recovery efforts in the metropolitan area were not far enough along to support an NBA schedule (Wikipedia franchise history). The team returned to New Orleans for the 2007–08 season.

What team did the New Orleans Pelicans replace?

The New Orleans Pelicans replaced the New Orleans Hornets — the same franchise that had itself relocated from Charlotte in 2002. There is no historical predecessor team in New Orleans; the Pelicans are a direct continuation of the Charlotte Hornets lineage.

Charlotte Hornets connection

The Charlotte Hornets that became the Pelicans were themselves an expansion franchise, not a relocation of an existing team. When George Shinn’s group obtained the NBA expansion franchise in 1988, the Hornets were born as one of two expansion teams that year alongside the Miami Heat (Dilemma-X expansion franchise coverage). The franchise’s original colors were teal and purple, a bold choice that influenced 1990s NBA aesthetics.

The connection to Charlotte wasn’t simply geographical. When Charlotte lost the Hornets to New Orleans in 2002, the NBA awarded the city an expansion franchise that became the Charlotte Bobcats. That Bobcats franchise later reclaimed the Hornets name in 2014 through Michael Jordan’s request, meaning the original Charlotte franchise now exists in two cities under different names (Lines.com franchise lineage).

Franchise timeline

The franchise timeline reveals a complex path: Charlotte Hornets (1988–2002) → New Orleans Hornets (2002–2013) → New Orleans Pelicans (2013–present). Between 2005 and 2007, the New Orleans Hornets played all home games in Oklahoma City at what was then called the Ford Center due to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans (ESPN relocation report).

Does the NBA still own the New Orleans Pelicans?

The NBA does not own the New Orleans Pelicans. The franchise is privately owned by Gayle Benson, who inherited the team following her husband Tom Benson’s death in 2019. Tom Benson purchased the Hornets from the NBA in spring 2011 for approximately $338 million, taking the team out of league ownership after it had been operated by the NBA following George Shinn’s financial difficulties (ESPN ownership report).

Current executives

Under Gayle Benson’s ownership, the Pelicans operate with a professional executive structure including a President of Business Operations and a General Manager who handles basketball decisions. The franchise has maintained continuity with its coaching staff, with Willie Green serving as head coach in recent seasons.

Ownership history

The franchise’s ownership history is notable for its turbulence: George Shinn founded the team but faced legal and financial problems that led to the NBA assuming operational control before selling to Tom Benson. This trajectory is relatively rare in major professional sports, where franchise sales typically involve healthier financial situations.

Who are the key New Orleans Pelicans players and coach?

The current New Orleans Pelicans roster rotates based on draft picks, trades, and free agency. For authoritative, up-to-date roster information, the official NBA.com Pelicans roster page provides verified player statistics, contract details, and biographical data.

Current roster highlights

Recent Pelicans drafts have added promising young talent through the franchise’s strategic positioning in the lottery. The team’s approach has balanced building around a core of developing players while maintaining salary cap flexibility for potential roster upgrades through trades or free agency.

Head coach

Willie Green serves as the franchise’s head coach, bringing experience as a former NBA player and assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. His coaching lineage reflects the Pelicans’ strategy of developing young talent with an emphasis on defensive schemes and offensive efficiency.

The coaching history reveals Paul Silas as the first head coach of the New Orleans Hornets in the 2002–03 season, posting a 47–35 record (Pelican de Brief coaching history). Tim Floyd served in 2003–04 with a 41–41 record, followed by Byron Scott from 2004–2009 (Pelican de Brief season records).

The Pelicans’ journey from North Carolina to Louisiana to their current identity reveals how professional sports franchises adapt to their environments. The franchise survived Hurricane Katrina’s displacement, a league ownership period, and a complete rebrand to establish itself as Louisiana’s basketball team. The brown pelican isn’t just a mascot — it’s a calculated choice that ties the franchise to regional identity and resilience. For fans in New Orleans, supporting the Pelicans now means supporting a team that chose to represent the state bird rather than an inherited name.

Related reading: AFL State of Origin – History, Results and Revival

While reviewing the New Orleans Pelicans’ roster and upcoming schedule, their 2024-25 standings reveal a tough 21-61 finish in the 2024-25 season.

Frequently asked questions