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“How often do you get a chance to have the Super Bowl take place in the same city where you live?” said Hornets center/forward Jason Smith, explaining his decision to buy tickets. Smith is joined by Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Robin Lopez, Roger Mason and Greivis Vasquez among Hornets players who bought Super Bowl XLVII tickets. Kick-off in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome – which is literally across Girod Street from the Hornets’ home arena – is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Central, giving players plenty of time to rest after a roughly three-hour flight from Minneapolis. Like several of his teammates, Smith said that his preference would have been to root for the Hornets’ NFL brothers, the New Orleans Saints. With no obvious reason to cheer for either participating team, Hornets players are split evenly between Baltimore and San Francisco. NBA.com

New Orleans Pelicans, Greivis Vasquez, Roger Mason, Robin Lopez, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, NFL, New Orleans Saints, Jason Smith, Anthony Davis 

Anthony Davis: Whoever made that rumor up about me being engaged is corny. I am NOT engaged people!! Twitter @AntDavis23

New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis 

Jim Eichenhofer: Anthony Davis on ankle: "It's good. I came down on a ref's foot and rolled it." Davis said he's "pretty sure" he'll play Wednesday at Spurs Twitter @Jim_Eichenhofer

New Orleans Pelicans, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

From one athletic freak out of Chicago’s South Side to another, Kevin Garnett had high praise for Anthony Davis. “That kid is long,” the aging Celtics superstar said of the Hornets rookie. “He makes me look like a midget, man. I was nothing like him. He’s a freak of nature. This kid’s going to be really good. He’s going to be really good.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, Kevin Garnett, Anthony Davis 

The Hornets, trudging through a difficult season due to an unwelcome mixture of youth and injuries, have not wavered on Davis nor his future. Instead, they await when he can cast his shadow over the franchise. "We try to give him everything because he’s that kind of player," said Monty Williams, New Orleans' coach. "We just put him in the fire and make sure he understands that some day he’s going to lead this team and that’s what this is about, so he might as well get used to it. He doesn’t back away at all." Newark Star-Ledger

New Orleans Pelicans, Monty Williams, Anthony Davis 

Tommy Beer: Austin Rivers confirmed that his Hornet teammates have tried to convince Anthony Davis to shave his unibrow... but it's not gonna happen. Twitter @TommyBeer

New Orleans Pelicans, Austin Rivers, Anthony Davis 

Jim Eichenhofer: Anthony Davis on Anderson:"He is great. He is awesome.Ryan is like my mentor right now. I listen to him.He is helping me out along the way" Twitter @Jim_Eichenhofer

New Orleans Pelicans, Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis 

Davis said he is not concerned about starting, although he has averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in four games since his return. "I’m just out here to play ball, that’s it,’’ said Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the June NBA draft. "You just go game by game. Some games you just don’t have it, some games you do. I feel myself getting back, though.’’ New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis 

Late last summer during the 2012 Rookie Transition Program and 2012 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot, respectively, Panini America officials asked several of the most talented young stars in the league to show off their artistic talents by handcrafting their best off-the-cuff sketches. Presented below is an art gallery of sorts showcasing just some of our favorites. From the uplifting sentiments shared by 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving to the high-brow humor fashioned by Anthony Davis, we think you’ll find these miniature masterpieces the perfect off-court diversion for your Sunday afternoon. Enjoy. Panini America

Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Pelicans, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis 

New Orleans Hornets rookie and top overall draft pick Anthony Davis has been cleared to return to action on Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. Davis has missed 11 games because of what trainers called a stress reaction in his left ankle, a condition which could have led to a fracture if not rested and treated. ESPN.com

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

Though New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis has been cleared for contact work and practiced Monday at the New Orleans Arena, Hornets Coach Monty Williams is not sure if Davis will make his much anticipated return from a left ankle injury Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. Regardless if he plays Tuesday, Davis' return likely will come sometime this week with Davis ramping up his conditioning work to prepare, according to Williams. New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Monty Williams, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

Though New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis has been cleared for contact work and practiced Monday at the New Orleans Arena, Hornets Coach Monty Williams is not sure if Davis will make his much anticipated return from a left ankle injury Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards. Regardless if he plays Tuesday, Davis' return likely will come sometime this week with Davis ramping up his conditioning work to prepare, according to Williams. New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

But Williams said he wasn’t sure Monday if Davis had met the final clearance that involves testing the strength level in his ankle. Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the June NBA draft, missed 11 consecutive games because of a stress reaction in his left ankle. "I’m not sure if he has to take another test today, tomorrow or has already taken it,’’ Williams said. "He’s been cleared for contact and is ramping up his conditioning. He practiced a little bit, but again (we) have to wait until tonight or tomorrow to see how he feels. He has been working with Coach Carlos (Daniel).'' New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

Jennifer Hale: #Hornets Anthony Davis running up & down court w/trainer today! Still no contact drills, but did participate in walk through w/starters. Twitter

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

Davis couldn’t be happier in New Orleans and he’s hoping to experience success with the Hornets, or Pelicans, for years to come. “It has embraced me well – the city of New Orleans really loves me and I love the city of New Orleans,” Davis said with a smile. “Hopefully we can have this relationship for a long time. Hopefully we can turn some things around, and maybe win a championship later on down the line.” HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Anthony Davis 

Davis hasn’t been medically cleared to practice yet, but he has been with the team and remained active. The Hornets have him on a rehab program as well as a developmental program. The 19-year-old believes he’ll be even better when he returns since he’s been observing and learning from the bench. “Now, I’m starting to see the game from a coach’s point of view,” Davis told HOOPSWORLD. “I’m sitting on the bench, watching, looking at guy’s tendencies and seeing what they like to do. I’m seeing the flow of the game and what to do in certain situations. It’s helping me learn a lot. The coaches are helping me a lot and I’m watching a lot of film of myself and what I can do better. It just gives me time to rest and I’m just trying to learn from this and hopefully stay healthy when I come back.” HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

“It has embraced me well – the city of New Orleans really loves me and I love the city of New Orleans,” Davis said with a smile. “Hopefully we can have this relationship for a long time. Hopefully we can turn some things around, and maybe win a championship later on down the line.” HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Anthony Davis 

“Not really, I’m just out here trying to have fun,” Davis said when asked if he’s paying attention to the R.O.Y. race. “Damian Lillard is a great player and there are other rookies out there who great players as well, but I’m just out here having fun. If I win, I win. If I don’t, I don’t. I’m just out here having fun and I’m just happy to be in the league. Most guys don’t get that opportunity and God blessed me with it so I’m just out here trying to have fun and enjoy it.” HoopsWorld

New Orleans Hornets, Anthony Davis 

New Orleans Hornets rookie Anthony Davis is expected to be sidelined for another week because of a stress reaction in his left ankle that has forced him to miss seven consecutive games, Coach Monty Williams said Sunday. "If I have to guess, I think he’s a week away from us thinking about him ramping up his conditioning; let alone playing,'' Williams said. "So I just think it's still far off.'' New Orleans Times-Picayune

New Orleans Hornets, Monty Williams, Injuries, Anthony Davis 

New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis will miss another week because of an ankle injury, coach Monty Williams told reporters on Sunday. The New Orleans Times-Picayune quotes Williams as saying: "If I have to guess, I think he's a week away from us thinking about him ramping up his conditioning; let alone playing,'' Williams said. "So I just think it's still far off.'' USA Today

New Orleans Hornets, Injuries, Anthony Davis