by Alejandro de los Rios

Jebus, it is loud in here (although maybe not as loud as during the Boston game). And with good reason. Fans have were outside the Arena as early as 4 p.m. and many were making noise before the pre-game festivities even started thank to the jumbotron showing the Spurs beat the Suns in double overtime.

Now you may be asking why I chose a picture of Melvin Ely to for this post and the reason is quite simple, really. Melvin earned a ring with San Antonio last year but, he said, because he didn’t play much he didn’t really feel like a part of it. So how does he feel now that he’s suiting up for his first playoff game in New Orleans?

“I feel like the luckiest man in the world,” he said. “As long as you dress, there’s always a chance that you’ll play.”

Ely said that he was also planning on brining his championship ring to show off to the guys in the locker room but he left it at home.

“It’s just a reminder for what we’re playing for,” he said. “I wanted to show the guys what a championship looks like.”

That being said, Ely said it would be much more satisfying if he won a championship here.

“Last year, even though they made me feel like a part of it, I didn’t suit up at all and didn’t get to play,” he said. “It would definitely be more satisfying to win one here.”

Probably a safe bet to say he wouldn’t be the only person in New Orleans that would be satisfied with that.