The New Orleans Pelicans originated in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Hornets. From there they moved to New Orleans while keeping their original name, but had to relocate during Hurricane Katrina.
As a guy who lived in New Orleans for a large portion of my childhood, my loyalty with basketball lies in my home state. If you’re buying for a fan of the New Orleans team, I can make a few brief suggestions to help:
New Orleans Hornets Jerseys
As the Hornets moniker is no longer around, you can always start by buying some gifts that use the old name, such as team jerseys. This kind of memorabilia might be hard to find in the future, and team history buffs will love the idea.
Travel Bags
You probably can’t go wrong with one of these handy little travel bags. It’s utilitarian, professional, and it’s an excellent choice for showing off team pride.
Pelicans Koozies
Koozies are always a great option for the fan who enjoys the game from the living room, and they prevent wasting a good beer (or cola) just because it got warm.
Logo-Emblazoned Thermoses
These thermoses are handy to have around for any situation where you want to keep a drink warm or cold for a long period of time. The stylized ones don’t work any better than your normal thermos, but many people don’t even have regular thermoses on hand.
Abita Jockamo Indian Pale Ale
While I’ve never seen Abita’s Jockamo IPA in a can, you can buy six-packs of bottled beer. This beer has a distinctive taste that I’ve never seen anywhere else. If you’re partying, celebrate with a drink from the New Orleans craft brewery, which is unlike any other.
Cooking Supplies Gift Basket
You can’t avoid Cajun food when you go to New Orleans, at some point you’re going to be offered or invited for a quick meal. For the out-of-towner, fix up a gift basket with some Tony Chachere’s and other ingredients for a Cajun dinner.
Jazz Music
Nothing says New Orleans like some good classic Jazz music, and I’d be hard pressed to find someone who really doesn’t like the music that found a connection to New Orleans. Pick up an album or two, if you are pretty sure they don’t already have it.
Stuffed Characters Wearing Team Jersey
I’m not really entirely sure as to what Domo, which sparked a bit of an Internet meme, has to do with the basketball team. But if you’ve got to buy for an anime fan or geek, you probably can’t go wrong buying this stuffed plush Domo with the Pelicans jersey.
Car Mats and Accessories
My first rule of buying fan-ish items is buying stuff that actually gets used for a purpose. These car mats are a good example, and while they don’t get actively used they do prevent extra work cleaning up car messes.
Game Tickets
There’s no question about it, you will certainly make a fan’s day if you manage to get him tickets to a game he’s really pumped up for.
I hope these quick little suggestions were helpful in your search for a gift. I know the difficulty in choosing items when doing my own holiday shopping. However, one of these is bound to stand out as an item that they would really find a use for.