New Orleans Pelicans Tickets

As a relatively new entrant to the NBA (National Basketball Association), the New Orleans Pelicans have nonetheless made an impact on the league and have a strong following of fans in New Orleans, across the US, and worldwide.

Joining the NBA

Though the Pelicans joined the NBA in 2000, it is worth remembering that New Orleans did briefly have an NBA franchise prior to their formation.

All That Jazz

Back in 1974, the New Orleans Jazz was part of the league set-up, but a series of issues and financial problems led to that franchise moving to Utah, and it took the best part of a quarter of a century to correct the lack of a pro Basketball team in the region.

Hornets Sting

The New Orleans Hornets, as they were then known, played their first NBA season in 2002-03 and made a relatively immediate impact, qualifying for the postseason in both of their opening two seasons, albeit being beaten in the first round on both occasions.

In 2005, due to the horrors that came with Hurricane Katrina, the team spent two years in Oklahoma City.

By 2007-08 they'd secured their first Southwest Division title in a season that saw them rack up an impressive 56 regular season wins and their first win in the playoffs, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games to secure a first Conference Semifinals series.

They lost out to the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game thriller, but Byron Scott can certainly consider his five-season stint as head coach as an overall success, with the likes of Chris Paul proving pivotal.

Monty Williams took the Pelicans to the playoffs in his first season in charge in 2010-11, but the team couldn't find a way past the Los Angeles Lakers.

Becoming the Pelicans

The team became the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013 and was once again faced with a Conference Semifinal in 2017-18, but this time they fell short at the hands of the Golden State Warriors 4-1.

Over the course of their 21 seasons in the league, the team qualified for the postseason on eight occasions, and their highest placing in the Western Conference was a second-place finish in 2008. The team's big hope comes in the form of young star Zion Williamson, who is already a two-time NBA All-Star pick, quite a feat for a player of just 22 years of age.

Smoothie King Center Guide

The New Orleans Pelicans play their home games at the Smoothie King Center, which is based in the Central Business District of the city, and they've called the venue home since 2002.

The arena has a capacity of 16,867 for basketball action and is also used for concerts.