The Pelicans' home playing surface at the Smoothie King Center will be getting a makeover in conjunction with the NBA's first-ever in-season tournament.
In addition to an illustration of the tournament's trophy, the newly-introduced NBA Cup, being incorporated into the design, the Pelicans will, for the first time, take the floor for a game in their home arena on a fully-painted playing surface.
The Pels "are embracing a combination nightlife/Halloween theme in their City Edition art this season, complete with a revamped bony pelican logo -- nicknamed the 'skelican' in some corners," wrote ESPN's Zach Lowe, who broke the story.
The court's design will have a Mardi Gras flavor in keeping with the team's home city and will be largely painted purple with no natural wood grain color visible. The center of the court from end to end will be green, with the stripe stretching the width of the lanes under the goals.
The new color scheme will make its debut when the Pelicans open the home slate of the new tournament's group play round on November 14. It will remain in place for the duration of the tournament, which concludes December 9.
The tournament will follow a similar format as FIFA's World Cup soccer tournament with a group stage followed by a knockout round. The Pelicans are part of an initial five-team group that also includes the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.