As pregame music blares during New Orleans starting-lineup introductions, members of the Pelicans Dance Team show off their best moves on the Smoothie King Center hardwood, but they’re not alone. Only a few feet away, another enthusiastic dancer shuffles and bounces to the beat.
Point guard Jrue Holiday had grown accustomed to being one of the five names announced in his team’s first string, but since early December, he’s come off the bench and thrived. An NBA All-Star in 2013, Holiday has embraced his new role and pregame routine, which is punctuated by him dancing and grooving as the arena lights darken overhead.