With NBA owners seemingly more focused on European expansion than on adding teams domestically, speculation has bubbled up about the potential sale of the New Orleans Pelicans and the team being moved to Seattle (or possibly Las Vegas).
Benson shot that idea down in an interview with Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (hat tip ProFootballTalk).
“Let me be clear about this: The teams are not for sale. That’s in capital letters. I want everybody to know the teams are not for sale. I get tired of people asking me [if they’re for sale]. I’m going to turn 79 in January, but I’m pretty healthy. I hear that people want to talk to me about buying the team. I’m like, well, that’s a waste of my time. That’s not going to happen. And people need to calm down about the team moving.”
“It remains that when I die, both teams will be sold to the highest bidder and those proceeds will be used 100 percent to improve this community.”
Benson was also asked about the job status of coach Willie Green. The Pelicans hired a new head of basketball operations last summer in Joe Dumars, and the Pelicans are off to a dreadful 2-9 start, both of which usually land a coach on the hot seat.
“I really like Willie Green, but I hired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation. And that’s what he is doing. He is assessing Willie and all the players. He and I spent the entire halftime (of the Portland Trail Blazers game on Wednesday night) talking. When he makes a decision, that’s up to him. That’s why I hired him. I trust Joe, because I feel like he knows people. He’s known Willie since he was a child, so they know each other. And if he can fix that problem, then he’ll fix it. If he can’t, then that’ll be his decision, not mine. I’ve left that in his hands.”
The Pelicans have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons and have made the postseason just twice in the previous eight seasons, losing in the first round both times. Beyond that, the Pelicans just have a poor reputation among players and agents. Check out what former Pelican player Kendrick Perkins (now of ESPN) said on the RJ Defends podcast:
“Here’s the problem with New Orleans. Great city — one of my favorite cities to live in … They’re always going to be second to the New Orleans Saints. That city is all about the Saints — from the ownership down to Mickey Loomis. They don’t give a damn about the Pelicans. It’s so bad that if you want to eat — you know how all NBA organizations now have first-class facilities with breakfast, chefs, post-practice meals? In New Orleans, you leave the Pelicans facility, and you gotta walk across the street to the Saints’ facility just to eat. And all your food is in boxes in the cafeteria.”
Benson seems unlikely to make a new significant financial investment in the Pelicans or their arena, the Smoothie King Center, which could use it. She has now also made it clear she is not selling the team, and while things change (and all team owners’ public comments should be taken with a grain of salt), it appears the Pelicans are going nowhere. At least for the foreseeable future.
All of which means Pelicans fans have to hope that Dumars can figure everything out.
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