New Orleans Pelicans: What happpened to David West?

The New Orleans Pelicans have had plenty of players dawn their uniforms, but few were more impactful than David West. The six-foot-nine power forward came in and contributed instantly, and it’s why he will forever live in franchise history.

It’s been over a decade since West last played in the Big Easy, so what happened to him?

How good was David West for the New Orleans Pelicans?

It’s first necessary to look at how great West was for the then New Orleans Hornets. The team drafted the Xavier product with the 18th overall pick in the 2003 draft.

West failed to make a sizable impact his first couple of seasons with the team. He averaged under 20 minutes a game for his first two years in the league. With limited minutes, it’s understandable why he hovered around chipping in just 5 points per game. Everything changed in the 2005-2006 campaign.

With a rookie Chris Paul manning the point, West thrived playing alongside the man they’ve grown to call the “Point God.” His scoring output skyrocketed to 17 points per game while shooting over 50% from the field. He finished second in the league in the most improved player race to Boris Diaw (your +8000 Boris Diaw reference hits) and truly cemented himself as Paul’s sidekick.

He only got better from there, and in 2008 earned his first All-Star selection. West ended up averaging 20 points and nearly 9 rebounds per game, blossoming into a legit weapon. One writer even gave him a first-place vote for the Most Improved Player award.

The following season was more of the same, and West earned his second and final All-Star game. Unfortunately, part of his legacy will be how abysmal he was in the team’s first-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets. He didn’t have a single game in the series with a +/- better than -8 and shot a putrid 40%. In-game 1 of that series, the Hornets lost by 29, and West put together a 4/16 shooting split.

West never quite reached that level of play again during the years to follow but was always an above-average player. He was a stud on the low block and had one of the prettiest fade-aways of the 2000s.

West played 8 seasons for the team and helped turn the Hornets around. In 2011-12 West and Paul both suited up with New Orleans for the final time and promptly closed the golden period for the franchise.

West left as the top scorer in team history, something Anthony Davis has since passed him on. The records no one has come close to since his departure are his games played, 538. For comparison, no other player has even clocked in 500 games with the team. He is a pillar of the history of the franchise and will be for the rest of its existence.

New Orleans Pelicans: Where is David West now?

After winning his second consecutive championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2018, West announced his retirement from the NBA. His career spanned 15 seasons, 4 teams and saw him earn over $90 million.

West’s major post-career project has come as the COO of The Professional Collegiate League. The start-up basketball league will be aimed at college-age kids and will try to compete with the NCAA.

He has championed for college athletes to get paid, and that is why he will give all members of the league a salary of $50-$150 thousand. Along with CEO Ricky Volante, West has landed the PCL a network deal with Next Level. The league appears to be launching within the upcoming year.

Beyond running the league, he also hosts a weekly podcast with the aforementioned Volante, where they discuss positivity and “a little sports.” He’s also been a champion for human rights and has made recent appearances in political media.

It feels like West is making the most of his life post-basketball and figures to stay in the public eye with his recent endeavors. With franchises always looking for a reason to get butts in seats, it wouldn’t be surprising if West’s jersey was put in the rafters sooner rather than later.