New Orleans Pelicans

When the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, the city embraced its new NBA franchise with enthusiasm. The team retained the Hornets name and branding, and with Baron Davis leading the way, the New Orleans Hornets made the playoffs in their first season and won a first-round series. The early years were promising, suggesting that New Orleans could be a viable NBA market.

However, Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 devastated the city and forced the franchise to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City for parts of the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The displacement was painful for fans who had just begun to build a connection with the team, and the franchise's future in New Orleans was uncertain.

The return to New Orleans full-time in 2007, combined with the arrival of a generational point guard, would prove that basketball belonged in the Crescent City.

Chris Paul, drafted fourth overall in 2005, became the franchise's most transformative player. The floor general from Wake Forest combined elite ball-handling, court vision, and defensive intensity to become one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. Paul's arrival energized the franchise and the city, especially as New Orleans rebuilt from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The 2007-08 season was the peak: Paul finished second in MVP voting, averaging 21.1 points and 11.6 assists while leading the Hornets to 56 wins - the best record in the Western Conference. David West's mid-range excellence and Tyson Chandler's defensive presence complemented Paul's brilliance. The Hornets' home games at the New Orleans Arena became some of the most electrifying in the NBA.

Despite the regular-season success, the Hornets couldn't advance past the second round of the playoffs, and Paul eventually requested a trade in 2011. He was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers, and the franchise began a new rebuilding cycle.

The franchise selected Anthony Davis first overall in the 2012 draft, acquiring a once-in-a-generation talent - a 6-foot-10 forward/center with guard skills, elite shot-blocking, and an offensive game that seemed to have no ceiling. Davis quickly became one of the best players in the NBA, making multiple All-Star teams and establishing himself as the league's premier two-way big man.

In 2013, the franchise rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans after the original Hornets name was reclaimed by Charlotte. The new identity, inspired by Louisiana's state bird, was met with some skepticism initially but has since been embraced by fans. Davis led the Pelicans to the playoffs in 2015 and 2018, including a stunning first-round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2018 in which Davis dominated in every phase of the game.

However, like Paul before him, Davis ultimately sought a trade, and in 2019 he was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster that returned a haul of young players and draft picks - including the rights to the fourth overall pick that the Pelicans used on Zion Williamson.