National Basketball Association

New Orleans Pelicans: Has the team been cursed?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:53 p.m. ET

Fansided, Brendon Kleen/FanSided via Pelican Debrief

Both of the NBA’s biggest news stories this week have happened during games in which the New Orleans Pelicans played. Coincidence, or curse?

Last night was a rough one in Manhattan; the New York Knicks were thrashed by the New Orleans Pelicans, 110-96, but even that doesn’t really get at the crux of what was so crushing about the evening from the Knicks’ perspective.

The Derrick Rose saga, which began with a surprising trade last summer and continued through public decrees of super team-ism, has now come to a head with a confounding sexual assault trial and finally, last night’s debacle:

Fortunately, as the night folded, reporters were starting to piece together a more clear story. Rose has been in communication with team members, from center Joakim Noah to higher-ups in the Knicks’ front office. The operating story at this point is that Rose returned to his hometown of Chicago after participating in shootaround with the Knicks. Stay tuned.

While this story is puzzling in various ways and quite different than the other that followed the Pelicans this week, the Hawks leaking rumors of a firesale during their game in New Orleans last week was nearly as bizarre.

Kyle Korver warming up with the Hawks right now….. is someone going to tell him? pic.twitter.com/1rIpuoGQzN

— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) January 6, 2017

Now, with the internet-induced weirdness the Pelicans have had to wade through in now two games, it begs asking: Are the New Orleans Pelicans cursed?

The reasons why they could be cursed

The reasons why they are probably not cursed

Kidding– they are for sure cursed

As for what could happen Thursday night in Brooklyn, your guess is as good as mine. Jeremy Lin is already injured, and the Nets’ draft pick situation is as much of a curse as anything the NBA’s seen over the past several years. The best bet is to assume Brook Lopez will get in a fight about comic books with some glasses-wearing fan in the stands.