NBA lands in Australia for the first time, Pelicans will go to Melbourne for preseason games

The New Orleans Pelicans will travel to Melbourne in October to participate in the first-ever NBA game held in Australia.

The NBA announced on Monday that the Pelicans will play two preseason games against Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix on October 3 and 5 respectively.

This marks a further deepening of the partnership between the NBA and Australia. Currently, many Australian players play in the NBA, and the National Basketball League of Australia has also become an important talent pipeline for the NBA draft. Since the launch of the NBL Next Stars program, nine players have entered the NBA through the program, including LaMelo Ball and Alex Sarr, the second pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

Since 2016, NBL teams have traveled to the United States for pre-season games and played 24 warm-up games with NBA teams. The NBA team's initiative to travel to Australia is undoubtedly an important step in the cooperation between the two leagues.

“We are honored to be a part of this historic basketball event,” said Pelicans owner Gail Benson. “This partnership with the NBL and NBA not only allows the Pelicans to come to Melbourne, but also provides an opportunity to engage with fans around the world and showcase the unique culture and spirit of New Orleans to basketball fans across the region. We look forward to playing against Melbourne United and the South East Melbourne Phoenix, and looking forward to working with the NBA and NBL to inspire and develop the next generation of basketball players in the Asia-Pacific region.”

NBL Executive Director Larry Kestelman said: "For Australian basketball and the NBL, this partnership is of great significance. It has always been the NBL's dream to have NBA teams come to Australia to play. Now, 15 years later, this dream has finally become a reality. This also proves that as long as you dare to dream, you have the opportunity to achieve great achievements."