By Jonah Sharf
On March 8, 2006, the New Orleans Hornets participated in the first professional sporting event in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. The Hornets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 113-107, despite strong efforts from Chris Paul and David West, who put up 22 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals, and 25 points, respectively. Kobe Bryant’s 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals and Lamar Odom’s 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists were too much for the upstart and motivated Hornets team. While New Orleans was recovering from the hurricane, the Hornets played in Oklahoma City, which was the basis for moving the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder a few years later.