It’s become so common for professional athletes to say their team is “like family” that it’s easy to roll your eyes and quickly dismiss it as another trite cliché, something that may work as a sound bite, but isn’t really true upon close examination.
Then again, if you spent considerable time around the New Orleans Pelicans this season, you would’ve witnessed many of the characteristics of a familial bond. That family atmosphere is literally evident at the conclusion of team practices in the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, where it’s common to see the children of Pelicans players such as Rajon Rondo practicing their dribbling and shooting skills.