They can't take back the Utah Jazz's NBA nickname, so instead they're borrowing a Jazz franchise icon and claiming him as one of their own.
That's right, the New Orleans Hornets are retiring Pete Maravich's old No. 7 — even though the late, great Pistol Pete never did play a game for the Hornets, and the Jazz already retired his number way back in 1985.
The Hornets, who moved this year from Charlotte to New Orleans, plan to raise Maravich's 7 to the rafters of New Orleans Arena on Wednesday night when they open the NBA regular season and begin their Big Easy run against the Jazz, who relocated themselves from New Orleans to Salt Lake City in 1979.
"I would find it curious," Jazz spokesman Dave Allred said when told of the Hornets' plans to honor Maravich, who once scored 68 points for the Jazz in a 1977 game against the New York Knicks and scored 28 in their first-ever regular-season win in Utah.
"I also recognize what they're trying to do is get fans to come and follow the Hornets," Allred added. "But it is kind of curious."
Hmmmm . . .
The Hornets couldn't make it easy on everyone, and just retire Adrian Dantley's No. 4 — even though Dantley, who can't seem to get his just due in Utah never did step foot in the French Quarter while playing for the Jazz.
They couldn't go with some semblance of logic, and just retire the No. 4 of Kelly Tripuka — who actually did play for both the Jazz and the Hornets.
They couldn't just retire Ken Boyd's No. 4, or even Fred Boyd's No. 4.
Nooooooo.
Instead, they will go with Maravich's No. 7 — which, truth be told, does make a great deal of sense if the Hornets are insistent on retiring the number of someone who never played for them.
Pistol Pete, after all, did only average 44.2 points per game during his four college seasons at Louisiana State. He was only the first player in New Orleans Jazz history, short as it was. And he did only lead the Jazz in scoring in the first four of their five years before then club co-owners Sam Battistone and Larry Hatfield decided in 1979 to move the team from Louisiana to Utah, and before Maravich suffered the knee blowout that prematurely ended his Hall-of-Fame career.
"We're in New Orleans, and there's obviously only one name when you think of basketball in Louisiana . . . and that's Pete Maravich," Hornets spokesman Harold Kaufman said. "So we think, with the NBA returning to New Orleans, it's a respectable and honorable thing to do — to retire the number of a player who meant so much to the area.
"It's one NBA team playing tribute to a player that has meant so much to the league . . . one of the top 50 players of all-time."
Even if the Hornets, per se, can't technically lay claim to Pistol Pete's shaggy hair and floppy socks.
So Maravich's No. 7 will be raised yet again, with his widow Jackie — Maravich died of a heart attack in 1988, at the ripe age of 40 — and a few former teammates on hand for the ceremonies.
And, honestly — most kidding aside — that's OK by Utah's Jazz.
"We've had a hard-enough time stopping them from stealing our name," Allred couldn't help but crack, "so that's a fight we won't get into."
E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com