For Herb Jones, there’s no place quite like sweet home Alabama.

The New Orleans Pelicans' forward can hardly wait for Tuesday night when he gets a chance to suit up in Birmingham, Alabama, for a preseason game against the Houston Rockets.

“I’m super excited,” Jones said. “I don’t know about the rest of the team, but I’m ready to get back.”

Before making his mark with the Pelicans as one of the NBA’s best defensive players, Jones was a star in Alabama. Hale High School, located in Moundville about an hour away from Birmingham, retired Jones’ No. 2 jersey last December. Jones led Hale to its first state championship as a senior. Then he went on to play at the University of Alabama, where he was named the SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches.

He’ll likely

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