{"id":9599,"date":"2017-09-04T08:15:40","date_gmt":"2017-09-04T12:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=9599"},"modified":"2017-09-03T09:29:27","modified_gmt":"2017-09-03T13:29:27","slug":"greatest-new-orleans-pelicans-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/09\/04\/greatest-new-orleans-pelicans-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Greatest New Orleans Pelicans Moment of the 21st Century"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the Greatest Moment series<\/a> at Last Word On Pro Basketball, where we\u2019ll present to you each NBA team\u2019s greatest moment of the 21st century. From draft lottery <\/em>luck, to a franchise-changing trade, to the sweet taste of a championship, every NBA team has had its own special moment to look back on.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this edition, we\u2019ll relive the greatest\u00a0New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>\u00a0moment of the 21st century: Winning the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery and selecting\u00a0Anthony Davis<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Greatest New Orleans Pelicans Moment of the 21st Century: 2012 Draft Luck<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Basketball in New Orleans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Pistol<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The history of basketball in New Orleans should start with Pete Maravich<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> Pistol Pete was one of the most exciting and marketable<\/a> college basketball players of all time. The Pistol electrified arenas around the country and built a reputation that drew crowds wherever he played while at LSU. After a short stint with the Atlanta Hawks<\/a>,<\/strong> an expansion team in New Orleans named the Jazz, sent a package<\/a> including players and multiple picks to secure the player they believed would fill seats and take the team to the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Jazz, and Pistol Pete, the team never found the financial and basketball success they hoped for. The team’s owner moved the Jazz to Utah<\/a>, the least Jazzy state in the country, and New Orleans was once again a football town.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Hornets Bring Basketball Back to New Orleans<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Similar to the situation the New Orleans Jazz found themselves in, the Charlotte Hornets<\/a> were struggling with revenue. By the early 2000’s, the Hornets’ owner was no longer willing to take on financial losses to prop up an NBA franchise. After losing<\/a> out on a bid to move the team to Memphis, the Hornets ultimately settled on New Orleans as their relocation city. Basketball was back in New Orleans. Lil\u2019 Wayne said it best on his episode of MTV cribs,\u00a0<\/span>“Ya’ll can try us this year, we ready. Anybody, ya’ll wanna put some money up, anybody.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Skip ahead to the 5:13 mark to see Wayne’s diamond Hornets chain.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/cAb54qbMF_k<\/p>\n

Early Playoff Appearances, Chris Paul, and Hurricane Katrina<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The NBA was officially back in the Crescent City. The New Orleans Hornets would make the playoffs<\/a> in each of its first two seasons. After a move to the Western Conference and multiple injuries, the Hornets would finish the 2004-2005 season with an 18-64 record<\/a> but would have a great pick in a draft that would land them a future NBA star. Chris Paul<\/strong><\/a> was selected to be the point guard of the future but would witness tragedy before playing a game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hurricane Katrina<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Hornets were looking like they were poised to take on the league, but then, Hurricane Katrina decimated the city. I\u2019m not from New Orleans and I wasn\u2019t living in the city when Katrina hit. It\u2019s my opinion that unless you fit into one of those two categories, you have no business writing or commenting on the tragedy and struggle that the city and it\u2019s citizens experienced during this time. With that in mind, I’ll keep my comments brief. The horrors that the people of New Orleans experienced are unimaginable and can never be put into proper context.<\/span><\/p>\n

Katrina left destruction and devastation. It also sent the New Orleans Hornets into an uncertain and potentially lost future. The team, along with its young point guard, were forced to spend the season in Oklahoma City. The people of Oklahoma welcomed the Hornets with open arms and helped alleviate<\/a>\u00a0many of the challenges a temporary move would cause. <\/span><\/p>\n

Chris Paul would quickly develop into an elite point guard and also became an elite advocate<\/a> and voice for the city of New Orleans.\u00a0This was the start of a journey that would lead to three playoff appearances, a canceled<\/a> blockbuster trade, a successful<\/a> blockbuster trade, and then the greatest moment for the New Orleans franchise of the 21st Century, winning the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Moment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Winning the Draft Lottery<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Anthony Davis was the main attraction of the 2012 NBA draft. Davis dominated in his lone season with the Kentucky Wildcats. Playing under John Calipari at Kentucky naturally, results in a media frenzy. Davis added to the attention with stories of his high school growth spurt. A young point guard from Chicago lacking offers from major D1 programs grew<\/a>\u00a0into a 6\u201910\u201d PF\/C with the ball handling and shooting skills that the guard had worked tirelessly on.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Monty Williams<\/strong><\/a> representing the team, the Hornets leaped ahead three spots to get the first pick.<\/span><\/p>\n