Outrageous costume big hit with Hornets
Luling native Brianna Dantin is famous – but not many of her friends and classmates know.
Brianna, 12, is a quiet 6th grade student at St. Charles Borromeo School, but her face can also been seen plastered across New Orleans in blue and purple.
Brianna is one of the faces of the New Orleans Hornets basketball team’s new “I’M IN” campaign that debuted this year.
She drew attention last season by dressing up in an eccentric costume for the team’s home games.
“It all started with my parents purchasing my pom poms,” Brianna said. Her parents continued to get her items that she added to her “Bee Dat” outfit, such as huge sunglasses, a wig, a No. 1 foam hand and a custom-made jersey. She used the items to make a super-fan “Bee Dat” costume that resembles the Hornets’ mascot, Hugo.
“I love the Hornets because the games are fun to go to,” Brianna said. “Anyone that goes to the game knows that, and would see that they are a really good team.”
Wanda Dantin, Brianna’s mother, said that the family first started attending Hornets games when Brianna was 9 years old.
“She always showed a passion for the team,” Wanda said. “It started off with face painting, making signs and cheering. As time went on, her love for the team grew stronger and I think she just wanted her team spirit to not only be heard, but to be seen so that others would participate.”
Brianna said that dressing up and supporting the players is an important part of the game.
“It takes team spirit to show (the players) that the fans are there to support them and it helps them to play well,” Brianna said. “I always notice that the more fans attend, the better (the team) plays.
“No matter what, everyone does a better job if they have support.”
Brianna became a part of the Hornets’ new “I’M IN” advertising campaign earlier this year after someone put a video of her onto the website www.youtube.com. The video was repeatedly shown on television and her father received a call in February asking if she would help promote the basketball team.
“I was so excited, but very nervous,” she said.
Since then, Brianna has been featured on billboard, television commercials and print advertisements for the team, encouraging other local fans to support the Hornets. Brianna is hesitant to tell her friends at school about her fame as a Hornets supporter. She did tell her closest friend who was shocked to find out it was Brianna on the advertisements. While Brianna seems shy at times, she said it was her personality – not courage – that helped her become such a big Hornets icon.
“It really was not courage – it’s who I am,” she said. “My advice (to other fans) would be to just have fun and don’t worry about what anybody else thinks because if you do, it will hold you back.”
Brianna said that the two-week delay in the start of NBA games due to a lockout is a huge disappointment for her, and she is worried about possible longer delays.
“I am very disappointed – ever since I went to my first Hornets basketball game a few years ago, I hate to see the season end and I can’t wait for it to begin again,” she said. “I just hope we have a season this year.”
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