New Orleans Pelicans: A New Year’s love letter to Lonzo Ball stans

It’s a new year for the New Orleans Pelicans and fans of Lonzo Ball.

Dear Lonzo Ball Stans,

First off, let’s end this “stans” nonsense. It’s tired, getting cliche and it’s insulting. Most of you aren’t “stalkers,” just passionate fans and I genuinely enjoy interacting with many of you. Let’s all agree to drop it.

However, some of you make it difficult.

Let’s start with the basics. Most fans like teams, not just one player. Sure, they might have a favorite player on their team or even like guys from other teams, but for the most part, they are happy when their team wins no matter how it happens.

Some of you wouldn’t care if the Pelicans lost all of the time if Lonzo Ball was getting his stats and proving your thesis (which you wrote entirely in memes and youtube clips) that he is the greatest player of all time.

This is weird to those of us who are fans of the New Orleans Pelicans as a whole.

Pelicans’ beat writers (I am not one) and bloggers are also fans of the team and want to see the team win, which means none of us want Lonzo Ball to fail.

We would all love nothing more than for Lonzo to reach his immense potential, earn a max extension and be part of the Pelicans long term.

So if someone critiques his game, it is not because they hate him or want him to fail. It’s part of the job.

The emotional responses to any (even very fair and unbiased) critique of your guy is why people call you “stans” and take sly jabs at you on Twitter.

I’ve written hundreds of articles about the Pelicans and have been critical of all of their players at some point, but only when it’s about Lonzo Ball do I get people telling me to “kill myself” or call me a “clown” or a “casual” or a million other insults.

It makes you seem a bit unhinged, sorry. If you want to argue hoops, great but I’ve seen some of you going after writers in ways that have nothing to do with the game. It’s silly.

It’s just basketball. Relax and enjoy it sometimes. If you are constantly on the defensive (or gloating) over one player like a helicopter parent you are never going to actually enjoy the games, which is sort of the point.

If you are a passionate fan who wants to talk hoops, let’s do it. I love ya’ll.

I’m done using the word “stan” in 2021 but am going to have a quick finger on the mute button so you can shout your insults into the ether. But let’s all be better because real life is hard (RIP MF DOOM) and watching basketball isn’t.

Happy New Year!  Peace!

Love,

One fan of the New Orleans Pelicans.