Small market teams often struggle to get fans to the arena, that’s just a fact. That’s why not many people outside of the U.S. have heard of the Smoothie King Center, and why the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t exactly the most popular name around the NBA.
Basketball isn’t the first thing you think of when you visit New Orleans. Jazz, Mardi Gras, or gumbo could be the first to come to mind. But the game of basketball and New Orleans share a longer history than most people think, as they were the house of the Utah Jazz (then called New Orleans Jazz) from 1974-79.
A lot of things have happened ever since but one thing’s for sure: the New Orleans Pelicans are here to stay and won’t leave New Orleans any time soon. For that, we’re going to let you know everything there is about their beloved arena.
Where is the NBA team the pelicans located?
Since their creation in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, the team chose New Orleans, Louisiana, among many potential sites. They have to relocate to Oklahoma City from 2005-07 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina before heading back home. Then, they changed their name to Pelicans in 2013 and have been known like that ever since.
Where do Pelicans play?
Formerly known as the New Orleans Arena, the New Orleans Pelicans play every single home game at the Smoothie King Center, which also hosts multiple events, year-round. In the past, they had to play at Ford Center in Oklahoma City during their mandatory relocation for Katrina.
They’ve used the Smoothie King Center since they joined the NBA in 2002 and they don’t have any plans to change venues any time soon. The Smoothie King Center changed its name from New Orleans Arena in 2014.
This beautiful arena is located at 1501 Dave Dixon Drive and also used to be the home of the New Orleans VooDoo of the AFL and New Orleans Brass of the ECHL. It’s adjacent to the Caesars Superdome, formerly known as Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
How old is the Smoothie King Center?
The Smoothie King Center is a relatively new arena. Seen as a multiple-sports site to enjoy basketball games and multiple events alike, this new arena opened its doors in 1999. It cost $114 million (which would translate to $177 million nowadays) and it’s owned by the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District and the State of Louisiana. Also, the arena opened with an iconic game against the Utah Jazz, a team with close ties to the Pelicans franchise.
How many seats are in the Pelican Stadium?
The Smoothie King Center has the capacity to host 16,867 fans for NBA basketball games; 18,500 for college basketball games; 16,900 for arena football and ice hockey, and 17,805 for concerts. It also has It has 2,800 club seats and 56 luxury suites. Clearly, it’s the main arena in the area. Also, arena operator ASM Global manages a garage complex with a huge parking lot and nearly 7,000 parking spots for people visiting Smoothie King Center.
What’s the building next to the Superdome?
The Smoothie King Center isn’t the only arena in the area. It’s located right next to the Caesars Superdome a multiple-purpose arena where the New Orleans Saints of the NFL play. It also hosts the Sugar Bowl, one of the most iconic games in college football. This massive arena can host 76,468 fans and even has 165 luxury suites. The Saints are also owned by Gayle Benson as a part of the succession plan from her late husband.
Do Pelicans and Saints play in the same stadium?
No, the New Orleans Saints play in the Superdome, while the New Orleans Pelicans play in the former New Orleans Arena now known as the Smoothie King Center.
Can you bring bags into the Smoothie King Center?
If you’re going to a game at Smoothie King Center, you better bring a small bag or no bag at all. According to their policy, bags larger than 14″ x 14″ x 6″ won’t be allowed inside of the arena.
How much is parking at Smoothie King Center?
There are seven garages for public parking and two surface lots to choose from. There are around 7,000 parking spaces in general. The price of parking ranges from $30 to $50 for Pelicans games and from $20 to $40 for VooDoo games.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Youngest Team In The National Basketball Association
As we mentioned before, the New Orleans Pelicans haven’t been around for that long. As a matter of fact, they’re the youngest franchise in the history of the league, as their history only dates back to 2002. If we talk about the Pelicans under that name, then they’re the second-youngest team in the league, as they coined that distinction in 2013, one year before the Charlotte Bobcats became the Charlotte Hornets again.
Have The Pelicans Ever Won A Championship?
Unfortunately, no. The Pelicans, just like the Denver Nuggets and many other basketball teams, have never won an NBA Championship. Since the franchise’s inception in 2002, they’ve only been to the playoffs seven times. The last time this site host a playoff basketball game was in 2018 when they lost in the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors. That was the second time they reached that stage and have never been able to get past it. And judging by the team’s status, we don’t think there would be many – or any – Pelicans playoff games in the next five years or so.
Will the Pelicans move?
The New Orleans Pelicans have gone through multiple changes throughout their history. The Benson family bought them in 2012 and vowed to turn the team into a part of the culture of the city. However, new owner Gayle Benson has struggled to live by that word, especially since Anthony Davis’ departure.
The Pelicans are one of the few teams that have moved but they’ve always intended to make New Orleans home. If it wasn’t for Katrina, they would’ve spent their entire history there. Even so, some people around the National Basketball Association have often implied that the team would be better off by leaving New Orleans to try their luck in a different market like Seattle; as they’ve struggled to get fans into the arena.
We get it, Pelicans playoff games don’t come that often and fans have a tougher time embracing struggling teams, but we don’t see the Pelicans relocating any time soon. If anything, an NBA expansion seems more likely at this point.
Who owns the New Orleans Pelicans?
The New Orleans Pelicans are currently owned by the Benson Family. They’ve been under Benson’s watch since 2012, and while some seem to think that Gayle Benson added little value to the Pelicans as she’s more focused on football, there’s no sign of any desire of selling the club any time soon.
Why did New Orleans Change Name to Pelicans?
The late Tom and his wife Gayle Benson (who now owns the Pelicans due to the family’s succession plan) thought the franchise need to leave the Hornets name behind to focus on something that could bring them closer to the community. Under Benson’s direction, the Benson family explored the names ‘Brass’ and ‘Krewe’ before eventually settling for Pelicans, which is the state bird of Louisiana.
They also tried to get the ‘Jazz’ name back from the Utah Jazz, as the club was originally founded in New Orleans. But after 30 years of donning the name, the Jazz left the Benson family with no choice but to look for other alternatives.
Why did the Charlotte Hornets move to New Orleans?
The Charlotte Hornets were one of the most popular teams in the NBA during the 80s and 90s but they struggled to bring fans to the arena when their glory days passed. Also, rape allegations towards owner George Shinn made the community’s rejection quite notorious.
One of Shinn’s primary goals was then to relocate them to Memphis but the relocation was won by the Grizzlies. So, he threatened the fans to take the club out of town unless they built a new arena without his funding, but to no avail. Long story short, Shinn took them to New Orleans and a new club was born after a years-long standoff with state officials and the city hall. Eventually, in 2013, the Benson family beat all interested buyers with a $338 million offer.
