Three years ago professional basketball in New Orleans was a complete mess.

So was all of the NBA for that matter, as the league was suffering through a lockout that threatened the season.

In New Orleans, things were especially bleak.

The franchise, called the Hornets back then, had no real owner and even less direction. Things had gotten so bad that the NBA had taken over the team and then-Commissioner David Stern was making the final decisions on all matters.

He was also trying to solve the labor crisis in the league, so he was a little preoccupied with that.

To make matters worse, the only real star in New Orleans at the time was point guard Chris Paul, who wanted out in a bad way. Paul wanted to play in Los Angeles.

He was also a key player in the union, so he and Stern were sitting across the bargaining table as well, adding to the mess. Paul was basically telling Stern he wanted to leave his team while trying to cut a deal for all the other players and owners.

Very messy.

That’s when things got interesting.

New Orleans General Manager Dell Demps gave Paul his wish, sending him to the Lakers for four players in a three-team deal that included the Houston Rockets. The biggest name headed to the Big Easy at the time was Lamar Odom.

Stern vetoed the deal, sending more than a few shock waves throughout the league.

The Lakers and Paul said Stern was overstepping his role as commissioner. Stern claimed he was acting in the best interest of the franchise he was running.

A few days later Paul was on his way to Los Angeles, however not to the Lakers but rather the Clippers.

Since then the three franchises have not been the same.

The Lakers have fallen into the NBA abyss. The Clippers are an elite team with championship aspirations.

And the team in New Orleans solid ownership, a different name, new young superstar and a bright future.

Maybe he did overstep his role as commissioner, but as an owner Stern hit a home run.

“I knew we were doing the best deal for New Orleans and that was my job,” Stern said at the time.

By doing what he did, Stern all but guaranteed the now-named Pelicans the first pick in the 2012 draft, when they selected center Anthony Davis, who has become the main building block to the franchise and an All-Star.

Stern also got the 10th pick in that draft to go with Eric Gordon and two other players. While Chris Kaman and Al-Faroug Aminu are no longer with the team, the draft pick was Austin Rivers, who still is with the team, and Gordon is a solid scorer.

The group they would have gotten in the Lakers deal was led by Odom, who has made more noise off the floor since then with his marriage to Khloe Kardashian.

It should be noted that Goran Dragic has become a star in Phoenix, so it would not have been a total bust.

Still, Stern’s decision has the Pelicans rising three years later. Their 101-84 opening-night win over Orlando saw Davis just miss a triple-double, finishing with 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocked shots.

Just as important, 17,097 showed up to watch at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. At the same time, the Lakers were losing by 18 points to the Rockets.

It is unclear what Odom or Kardashian were doing.

David Stern, he was likely smiling.

The mess in New Orleans had been cleaned up.

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Jim Gazzolo is managing sports editor. Email him at jgazzolo@americanpress.com(MGNonline)