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New Orleans Pelicans

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Founded: 2003 · Metro Area: New Orleans · Western · Southwest · Arena: Smoothie King Center

Formerly based in Charlotte.

All-Star selections: 19player-seasons across history

WWikipediaQQ172339

Title chances

This side's chance in each title race we forecast, frozen and scored like every forecast here.

Season simulation · 2 Nov 2026

Who will win the NBA title?

<1%New Orleans Pelicans' chance

From 20,000 simulated seasons, updated daily. The frozen, scored forecast names the leading sides only.

Full odds tableTrack record

Full odds: NBA · every title race

The Heartbreak Index8.2 · #257

The Numb · Never won it, waiting since 2003

8.2
Heartbreak
#257
of 1,138 clubs
#20
in NBA
7.0
agony · 1.1 despair
The clocks
  • First NBA title since 20033.6
  • First NBA final appearance since 20031.8
Heaviest wounds

playoff run died early, 2024 · playoff run died early, 2023 · playoff run died early, 2022 · playoff run died early, 2018

One formula, every club the site covers. See the whole board →

Who controls the club

The entity that holds control today, one per franchise; co-controllers and minority holders are listed, never summed.

How this is measured

Exactly one control entity is recorded per franchise, so a portfolio can never count a club twice. Co-controllers and minority holders are shown as published and carry no weight in any total.

The chip names the evidence. Sourced: a primary source is linked (league, club, filing or tier-one outlet). Cross-checked: matched against the ownership-change sweep. Contested: disputed or mid-sale. Rows are reviewed weekly.

Stakes are as published, often only “majority”, and are not pro-rated. A record of control is not a claim about anyone’s intent or conduct.

Who controls the clubGayle Benson
Gayle Bensonindividual· 100%
Cross-checkedas of 11 Aug 2026

Benson also owns the New Orleans Saints.

Also controls

Gayle Benson on the owners board →

YouTube

+388,833
views gained since 23 Oct 2026
0
subscribers gained since 23 Oct 2026

Open the official channel on YouTube

Calculated by Citizen of Nowhere from YouTube channel statistics, as of 2 Nov 2026. Not part of the Fan Attention Index. Not ranked.

Data from YouTube API Services · YouTube Terms of Service · How we use YouTube data

0
NBA titles
BAA and NBA
0
Finals Appearances
0 Conf. Finals
10
Playoff Appearances
Postseason 25-39
0.454
All-time Win%
24
Seasons
since 2003

Championships

ABA cups in slate (1968-76, rival league merged into NBA in 1976), BAA + NBA titles in gold.

No championships yet.

Finals Appearances

Solid chip = won the championship; outlined chip = lost the Finals.

No Finals appearances.

All-time record

Regular-season W-L878-1054
Win pct0.454
Playoff record25-39
Championships0
Finals appearances0
Conference Finals appearances0
Division titles1
Total seasons24
.500 or better seasons9
Most recent championship—
All-Star selections19

Arena history

Reverse-chronological. Naming-rights eras nested under each canonical building.

New Orleans Arena2008-2013
New Orleans, LAnow: Smoothie King Center
Smoothie King Center2014-present
New Orleans, LA
Ford Center/New Orleans Arena2006-2007
Oklahoma City, OKnow: Paycom Center
New Orleans Arena2003-2005
New Orleans, LAnow: Smoothie King Center
Season-by-season
2003 to 2026 · 24 seasons · click to expand
2025-26
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
26-56
Win%
.317
PF/G
115.5
PA/G
120.0
Place
4th
2024-25
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
21-61
Win%
.256
PF/G
109.8
PA/G
119.3
Place
5th
2023-24Playoffs
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
49-33
Win%
.598
PF/G
115.1
PA/G
110.7
Place
2nd
2022-23Playoffs
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
42-40
Win%
.512
PF/G
114.4
PA/G
112.5
Place
2nd
2021-22Playoffs
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
36-46
Win%
.439
PF/G
109.3
PA/G
110.3
Place
3rd
2020-21
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
31-41
Win%
.431
PF/G
114.6
PA/G
114.9
Place
4th
2019-20
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
30-42
Win%
.417
PF/G
115.8
PA/G
117.1
Place
5th
2018-19
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
33-49
Win%
.402
PF/G
115.4
PA/G
116.8
Place
5th
2017-18Playoffs
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
48-34
Win%
.585
PF/G
111.7
PA/G
110.4
Place
2nd
2016-17
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
34-48
Win%
.415
PF/G
104.3
PA/G
106.4
Place
4th
2015-16
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
30-52
Win%
.366
PF/G
102.7
PA/G
106.5
Place
5th
2014-15Playoffs
New Orleans Pelicans
Conf
Western
Division
Southwest
W-L
45-37
Win%
.549
PF/G
99.3
PA/G
98.6
Place
5th

Award winners

Headline player and coach honors held by franchise members. MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, and Clutch Player of the Year.

ROY · 1Rookie of the Year

  • 2005-06Chris Paul

COY · 1Coach of the Year

  • 2007-08Byron Scott

MIP · 1Most Improved Player

  • 2019-20Brandon Ingram

All-NBA Selections

Every All-NBA 1st, 2nd, or 3rd team selection by a player wearing this franchise's jersey.

2017-18
1stAnthony Davis
2016-17
1stAnthony Davis
2014-15
1stAnthony Davis
2010-11
3rdChris Paul
2008-09
2ndChris Paul
2007-08
1stChris Paul
2003-04
3rdBaron Davis
2002-03
3rdJamal Mashburn

Top games

The franchise's top 10 games ranked by Game Score: a composite of stakes, quality, and ELO-weighted matchup strength.

1
L82-91vs San Antonio Spurs2008-05-19 · New Orleans Arena · New Orleans, Louisiana
2007-08 · Conf. Semifinals G7
1.539
Game Score
2
L103-107vs Philadelphia 76ers2003-05-02 · New Orleans Arena · New Orleans, Louisiana
2002-03 · First Round G6
1.372
Game Score
3
L109-115vs Phoenix Suns2022-04-28 · Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, Louisiana
2021-22 · First Round G6
1.338
Game Score
4
W93-91vs Philadelphia 76ers2003-04-30 · First Union Center · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2002-03 · First Round G5
1.206
Game Score
5
W132-130vs Phoenix Suns2OT2008-02-06 · US Airways Center · Phoenix, Arizona
2007-08 ·
1.171
Game Score
6
W99-94vs Dallas Mavericks2008-04-29 · New Orleans Arena · New Orleans, Louisiana
2007-08 · First Round G5
1.122
Game Score
7
L104-113vs Golden State Warriors2018-05-08 · Oracle Arena · San Francisco-San Jose, California
2017-18 · Conf. Semifinals G5
1.100
Game Score
8
L119-123vs Golden State WarriorsOT2015-04-23 · Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, Louisiana
2014-15 · First Round G3
1.094
Game Score
9
L106-110vs Los Angeles Lakers2024-04-16 · Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, Louisiana
2023-24 · Play-In
1.086
Game Score
10
L116-121vs Golden State Warriors2018-05-01 · Oracle Arena · San Francisco-San Jose, California
2017-18 · Conf. Semifinals G2
1.082
Game Score
11
L89-97vs Oklahoma City Thunder2024-04-29 · Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, Louisiana
2023-24 · First Round G4
1.018
Game Score
12
W129-124vs Phoenix SunsOT2022-12-11 · Smoothie King Center · New Orleans, Louisiana
2022-23 ·
0.992
Game Score