More than any other sport, with the fixed games and commissioner openly rooting for big market teams to be in the finals and the league going apeshit because the Kings had a better team than LA for ONE FUCKING YEAR and putting a stop to it, the NBA loves taking their dick and shoving it in everyone's face about how sports really don't matter.

The Pelicans. The PELICANS.

I have the same objections with the new NFL Houston team being called the "Texans" rather than the "Oilers."

Just the kind of animal I'd root for at a sporting event!

The New Orleans Hornets will be changing their name next year to the New Orleans Pelicans. I had to verify this after hearing it to make sure it wasn't a joke.

The team began life in 1988 as the Charlotte Hornets. The name came from a quote in regards to the city holding off the French during the Revolutionary War. The team was in Charlotte for 14 years before moving to New Orleans. After three years in NOLA they moved to OKC due to Hurricane Katrina and became the OKC Hornets for two years before returning to New Orleans.

Apparently the state bird of Louisiana is the pelican, thus the name change. The name is expected to be approved by the league and changed prior to next year's season.