The 76ers were recently sold to an ownership group in Philadelphia which includes none other then one of their favorite sons, Will Smith. According to Marc Stein, “Smith joins the Sixers in a capacity akin to music mogul Jay-Z’s role with the New Jersey Nets.” With the Hornets ownership still up in the air, one must wonder whether or not an ownership group would really benefit by bringing on a local celebrity.

Jay-Z hasn’t landed any stars for New Jersey yet, but he made headlines whenever he went out to lunch with LeBron or someone of the like. He gives a very public face to a franchise that had previously not exactly been a notable destination for free agents. It’s fun to talk about how Jay-Z owns the nets, since it’s sort of outrageous in a way. It will be even more fun to talk about how Will Smith (who hooped in the intro to Fresh Prince) will probably show up and ball at a practice.

So let’s get to the point of what I’m doing here– who can be that guy in New Orleans?

Lil’ Wayne- Dude is in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most top 100 hits by a US rap artist. He was born and raised in Hollygrove. The first thing he did after getting out of jail was attend a Hornets game (fine it wasn’t the first thing). Additionally he said that he was planning to retire from rap at 35, so this would be a perfect gig for him. I can’t think of anyone better, aside from the fact that his stance on gun control (he shot himself when he was 13 and was incarcerated for handgun possession more recently). The NBA might frown on that…

Drew Brees may not have been born and raised here, but this is his home. It’s actually a capital offense to claim he’s not a New Orleanian after Superbowl XLIV. He’s a guy who has a lot of money and has shown interest in the Hornets organization as a spectator in the past. It might be a little premature for him to invest in a sports team since his contract status with the Saints is a bit up in the air, and perhaps against NBA and NFL rules as well. Regardless, he’s someone who can attest to the awesomeness of the city. He lives in the heart of uptown with his family.

Lil’ Romeo (aka Romeo Miller) not only has a successful rap career, but is also a basketball player himself. He played in the USC Trojans for two years. He’s the son of Rap Mogul Master P, so he’s well connected to celebrities. Sounds like a pretty good fit to me. He gets to occasionally play basketball with NBA players and in return he attracts free agents.

Brad Pitt is another guy with a lot of money, and he does have the history of putting his honey in a lot of different pots. It’s my understanding that he came to New Orleans to help it rebuild. Not many things would mean as much to the city as the Hornets growing in popularity. He could totally convince free agents of the benefits of living and contributing to this city as opposed to any other. Plus, Angelina Jolie would be part of the package, and there’s nothing that I don’t like about that.

Trombone Shorty doesn’t have the money to really buy a sizeable stake, but if there was one musician I would bank on becoming legendary from this city, it’s him. Attaching a born and raised New Orleanian of the caliber of Troy would do wonders for localizing the team and attracting a broad array of fans. Plus, when he’s bigger than Jesus, the team will reap the benefits.

Chris Trew may lack the money, but he more than makes up for it in beard length and passion, purpose and pride.

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