When the Pelicans traded for CJ McCollum at the trade deadline, executive David Griffin sent the message that the franchise was not going to tank this season. With New Orleans in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2018, it turns out that message holds true in more ways than one.
After splitting the first two games of their first-round series with the Suns, the eighth-seeded Pelicans return to the Smoothie King Center for Game 3 on Friday, April 22, but not without a scheduling conflict. As pointed out by Farrah Yvette, an Executive Producer at New Orleans' NBC affiliate, WDSU, the No Limit Reunion tour was also scheduled to take place on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center.
People are calling the newsroom because the @PelicansNBA game is the same night as the No Limit Reunion tour in the @SmoothieKingCtr. People are trying to finalize their plans.
— Farrah Yvette (@farrah_yvette) April 18, 2022
The concert starts at 7 p.m. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. https://t.co/of0wXeR79Y pic.twitter.com/EfBd67GyD5
No Limit Records, of course, was founded by New Orleans native Percy "Master P" Miller and is known for its signature tank logo, as seen on the concert flyer. Master P, whose brief NBA career included training camp invites with the Hornets and Raptors, headlines the reunion tour alongside Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal and Mia X, while the Ying Yang Twins and Juvenile are listed as special guests.
As it turns out, the Pelicans' first home playoff game since 2018 took priority over the reunion tour, which has been postponed to Saturday, April 30, the same day that the Pelicans would face the Suns in a potential Game 7.
No worries, though, that game would take place in Phoenix.
Master P, who is also an actor and savvy businessman, made sure to shoutout his hometown team in his Instagram announcement. Less than a year ago, he made his pitch to be the team's head coach, a position that was ultimately filled by Willie Green.
While Master P is the only artist on the bill with an NBA training camp invite to their name, both Mystikal and Juvenile have graced the floor at the Smoothie King Center as halftime performers, with Juvenile performing at the Pelicans home finale on April 10.
Juvenile's performance must have been a good omen for the franchise, as they now share a video of him and Pierre the Pelican after wins.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 20, 2022
Will the Pelicans again share the video of Juvenile and Pierre after Game 3? Will Pelicans fans be forced to choose between attending the rescheduled concert and watching a potential Game 7?
While the scheduling conflict has been resolved, it only brings about more questions.
The Pelicans host the Suns in Game 3 on Friday, April 22 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
