The New Orleans Pelicans are finally finding their identity, and it resonates with the city they play in.
Every time a new player joins one of the professional New Orleans sports teams, they are given the same piece of advice: "If you love New Orleans, it will love you back."
It seems cliché, but it's true. Some (author's note: me) still blame the fact that former Saints quarterback Derek Carr's first meal in the city was Chipotle for him eventually being run out of town.
This city loves its sports teams, and any time one of them is threatened to be taken away, it is met with immense pushback.
There is a feeling around the league, outside of the city, that people are apathetic about the Pelicans, but that's not true. They just want something worth cheering for.
No better example could be given than Thursday night's win over the Houston Rockets. New Orleans was down by 25 points to one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They never gave up and fought their way back to win the game, and the crowd was with them the entire time.
It was as loud of an environment as the Smoothie King Center has seen this year, surviving the 22-point deficit at halftime on a Thursday night.
The same people who constantly talk about potential Pelicans relocation had to give credit to the fans. Bill Simmons said on the latest episode of his podcast that he was watching the game on mute, and even he noticed how into it the crowd was.
When speaking to the players after the game, they shared the same sentiment. Trey Murphy almost swore after getting so excited to talk about the fans.
"This is the potential that I know the Blender (a.k.a Smoothie King Center) has. We're gonna keep putting out a good product on the court. Like I said before, do not give up on us and I promise we will make you happy."
The synergy between the fans and the team is incredibly important, especially in a city like New Orleans. With the players not showing any quit, fighting as hard as they can, they can expect that same energy back from the fanbase.
This is not a city that has quit in its DNA. The team spoke with a former NOPD sniper on Wednesday and he relayed the message of resiliency in the community. That translated to the game just a day later.
Interim head coach James Borrego is hoping that his players keep that message close.
One of his big goals after taking over for Willie Green is finding an identity for his squad. They looked lost on the court at times. As it turns out, the answer might have been in front of him the entire time.
"We rallied around this community of resiliency, of toughness. That's what New Orleans is. It's resiliency. It's toughness. It's physicality. And a lot of fun too. [That win] was a lot of fun. And that's our identity," said Borrego to his players in the locker room after the comeback win against the Rockets.
Saddiq Bey, one of the heroes of the game, gave credit to the fans after the game as well. Stating that their energy allowed the players to push through the end of that comeback, and was especially happy that they did it after the rough start to the season.
"For them to continue to stick with us through the ups and downs, and still be loud, chirping, talking trash and all that. This is great, man. I just love it here in New Orleans and I'm grateful for the city."
One thing has quickly become clear after his 29-point performance in the win, out-dueling future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, New Orleans loves Bey just as much.