The New Orleans Pelicans tipped off their 25th season Wednesday night when they hosted the Indiana Pacers. To commemorate the franchise turning 25 years old in New Orleans, we take a look back at the 25 biggest headlines.

I’ll admit, finding 25 was no easy task. In fact, it was so difficult that I almost included the team changing mascot Pierre the Pelican’s appearance because his old costume scared the kids.

Here we go.

25. On the move: This list wouldn’t be possible if then-Charlotte Hornets owners George Shinn and Ray Woolridge didn’t decide to relocate to New Orleans. NBA owners approved the move with a 28-1 vote. Led by head coach Paul Silas, the New Orleans Hornets won the very first game they played, beating the Utah Jazz 100-75.

24. Heading West: The Hornets played their first two seasons in the Eastern Conference but were moved to the West to start the 2004-05 season.

23. Draft night 2025: The jury is still out on the trade Joe Dumars made on draft night to move up and select Derik Queen. The Pels gave up their 2026 pick, but Queen was named to the All-Rookie Team. Time will tell how big this one becomes.

22. Fast start: The Hornets started the 2010-11 season, their first year with head coach Monty Williams and general manager Dell Demps, with an 8-0 opening salvo. It’s the best start in franchise history.

21. Holiday season: In the summer of 2013, the Pelicans traded with the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday. He went on to become one of the most beloved players in franchise history during his seven seasons.

20. League owned: The NBA took over ownership of the Hornets to bring stability to the franchise after minority owner Gary Chouest decided not to purchase Shinn’s majority interest.

19. Boogie’s missed free throw: Who knows how things would have played out if DeMarcus Cousins didn’t miss a free throw in a regular-season game against the Houston Rockets. He popped his Achilles while trying to get his rebound and never played for the Pels again.

18. Scoring binge: Perhaps the greatest performance in franchise history, Anthony Davis scored 59 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in a road win over the Detroit Pistons in February 2016. The 59 points are still the record, eclipsing Jamal Mashburn’s old record of 50.

17. Starstruck: New Orleans was awarded its first NBA All-Star Game in 2008. The city got two more over the next nine years (2014 and 2017). Davis scored a then-All-Star game record 52 points and was named the MVP in the 2017 game.

16. Mr. B’s team: Tom Benson, who also owned the Saints, announced in April 2012 that he would purchase the team for $338 million.

15. What’s in a name? The Hornets were the Hornets no more. Benson decided to rebrand the team as the Pelicans. With the change, the team changed its colors from teal, purple, gold and white to blue, gold and red.

14. Do it big: While most of the NBA was going small, the Pelicans went in the other direction. They traded for Cousins, pairing him up with Davis to form what looked like one of the NBA’s most dynamic duos ... until the aforementioned injury at No. 18 changed everything.

13. That’s all, folks!: The divorce was ugly. Davis wanted out of New Orleans and demanded a trade. He ended up joining LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans got Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart in return.

12. The debut: Who will ever forget Zion Williamson’s first game in a Pelicans uniform? He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists, including one spurt when he scored 17 straight points (and four straight 3-pointers).

11. Instant success: The Hornets wasted no time getting to the playoffs, making it in their very first season. They lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.

10. Suns series: The Pelicans took the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games in the first round of the playoffs in 2022. The series made you think the Pelicans had turned the corner, especially after head coach Willie Green’s “You’ve got to fight” speech against the Clippers in the play-in tournament. The Pels have been back to the playoffs just once since then.

9. Access denied: Chris Paul was set to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that would have paired him with Kobe Bryant. NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed the trade, and Paul ended up getting traded to L.A.’s other team: the Clippers.

8. Clean sweep: The Pelicans swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2018 playoffs, giving the franchise its second playoff series win. They lost to Steph Curry and Kevin Durant in the next round. It’s the last time the Pels won a playoff series.

7. King of the hill. The Hornets won the Southwest Division in the 2007-08 season. It’s the only division title in franchise history.

6. Home away from home: Because of Hurricane Katrina, the Hornets relocated to Oklahoma City. They played two seasons there before returning to New Orleans.

5. Great Scott! During the 2007-08 season, Byron Scott was named the NBA Coach of the Year. He’s the only coach in team history to ever win it. The Hornets went 56-26, the only 50-win season in franchise history.

4. Jackpot: One year after losing Paul, the Hornets landed their next superstar when they won the lottery and drafted Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick.

3. Let’s dance. If you thought fans were thrilled about drafting Davis in 2012, that was nothing compared to the celebration that took place when the team won the lottery in 2019 and drafted Zion Williamson. There was an epic party in downtown New Orleans the night the NBA commissioner called his name. The games he’s missed because of injuries since then could almost be its own item on this list.

2. Game 7: The Hornets beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the first round of the playoffs in the 2007-08 season. In the next round, they went seven games with the San Antonio Spurs. It almost sounds crazy to think that the Hornets were one win away from making it to the NBA Western Conference finals. It’s the closest they’ve ever been to a Larry O’Brien Trophy.

1. Face of the franchise: In 2005, the Hornets used the fourth overall pick to select a point guard out of Wake Forest who ended up being the best player in team history. Paul went on to win Rookie of the Year, the only player in franchise history to win that honor. His jersey retirement isn’t on this list, but hopefully someday soon the franchise will do the right thing and hang it in the Smoothie King Center rafters where it belongs.