The New Orleans Pelicans are a US professional basketball team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. You can see the official mascot of the team in the picture:

Pierre the Pelican was chosen by the numerous fans of the team on its official site. It is not the first mascot of the team, as the name of the franchise was changed.

The story began in 2002. The team was established in the 2002-03 season. It was called the New Orleans Hornets at the beginning, as the franchise was relocated from the city of Charlotte, where it had the same name. As the team had to spend two seasons in Oklahoma City (after Hurricane Katrina), they were known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets during that period. The team returned to its hometown in 2007. In 2013, it was decided to rename the franchise the Pelicans, and the its initial name was given back to Charlotte's team.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org