Pierre the Pelican debuted in 2013 as the New Orleans Pelicans' official mascot, but his original design—featuring intense eyes and an unsettling grin—immediately became the stuff of internet nightmares. Social media users quickly transformed the mascot into a viral meme, portraying him as a horror movie villain or a harbinger of doom. While the team eventually redesigned Pierre to be more child-friendly in 2014, the legacy of the 'Nightmare Pierre' remains a staple in NBA meme culture. The template is widely used today to represent anything unexpectedly creepy, intimidating, or generally sleep-depriving.