Saturday night, the New Orleans Pelicans faced off with the Indiana Pacers with hopes of notching a third consecutive victory. Prior to the game, they honored someone near and dear to the franchise. The Pelicans held a moment of silence in memory of Carley McCord, who had passed away earlier in the day in a plane crash.
A moment of silence ahead of tonight’s game for the loss of a member of the Pelicans family – Carley McCord.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Carley’s family and friends. pic.twitter.com/3XPi8lC2H3
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 29, 2019
McCord was known to many LSU fans as the daughter-in-law of offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. She was also a staple at Pelicans games. As a sports reporter, McCord served as an in-game host for the NBA team and was routinely seen providing updates from the court.
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“On behalf of Mrs. Gayle Benson and our entire organization, we are devastated by the sudden death of Carley McCord,” the Pelicans said in a statement. “Carley was a valued member of both our New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans family as an in-game host and her infectious personality and knowledge of both teams entertained our fans.
“Not only was Carley an excellent representative of the Saints and Pelicans organizations, she was also a highly-respected member of the media covering sports, including the Saints and Pelicans with utmost professionalism for WDSU and CST. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Carley’s family with this tragic loss.”
The Pelicans were not the only ones expressing sorrow after the news surfaced that McCord had passed away on Saturday. Members of the Saints also shared their memories of the reporter while sending condolences to the family.
“So sad to hear the news about Carley McCord she was always very excited and happy,” wide receiver Michael Thomas wrote on Twitter. “The worst part is I saw her reporting yesterday as I was leaving home in the parking lot. Really sad, life is so short [broken heart emoji] really wish I could do something.”
Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and tackle Terron Armstead also expressed their sadness at the news on Saturday. They joined a large number of individuals around the area that were heartbroken upon learning that McCord had passed away.
The Baton Rouge native made an impact on the area throughout her life and countless wanted to share their memories of McCord throughout Saturday. The Pelicans took it another step by honoring her prior to the game against the Pacers.
(Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty)
