New Orleans Pelicans

Founded: 1987
Team Owner: Tom Benson
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
Team Icon: Chris Paul
Overall Record: 453-515
D-League Affiliate: nada
Championships: nada
Arena: Smoothie King Center
Arena Capacity: 17,003
Arena Co-Tenants: Tulane Green Wave (Basketball), New Orleans VooDoo (AFL)
City: New Orleans, LA
Website: www.pelicans.com

The New Orleans Pelicans started out as the Charlotte Hornets in 1987. However they would have been known as the Charlotte Spirit had team owner George Shinn had his way. But fans vehemently opposed Spirit as the nickname so a name-the-team contest resulted in Hornets instead.

When the Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2013, team owner Tom Benson stated that he would change the team's moniker to the Pelicans to reflect the region's culture and community which in his words "The Pelican does that. Our region has been hard hit in recent years and the one thing that stands out is the resiliency and determination to comeback, to fight and overcome. The Pelican symbolizes that." Well alrighty then.