The NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans are the most recent American sports team to agree to play in Australia. In October, officials agreed to play a two-game exhibition series against the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United of the NBL, respectively.
The organizers hope to bring a large crowd to two open training sessions at Melbourne Park and sell out the 14,000-capacity games at Rod Laver Arena the weekend after the AFL grand final. The Pelicans have promised to send a full team, including draft pick Zion Williamson, to Australia for a preseason trip before the 2025–26 season, which begins in late October. Larry Kestelman, the owner of the NBL, stated that he wanted it to be the first game in a series and a “celebration” of Australian basketball.
The author states, “I do believe this is the first, but not the last.” The Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, David Griffin, stated that discussions with Kestelman had been ongoing for more than a decade. After trading Boomers guard Dyson Daniels to the Atlanta Hawks, Griffin hoped to sign another Australian before his October visit.
He stated, “I would like us to become synonymous with the way athletes in general, not just basketball players, are raised here,” and “I think there is a commitment to excellence here.” “The right thing to do at the right time,” Griffin said, referring to the Daniels trade. The Australian is now a contender for Defensive Player of the Year because he has 178 steals this season, 66 more than the player in second place. “At that moment, it had absolutely nothing to do with our belief in Dyson,” Griffin said.
Griffin also said that the decision to draft Daniels in 2022 was partly based on the information gathered by an Australian scout who was working full-time at the time. The team has reorganized staff since then and no longer has anyone committed to Australia, but Griffin hoped this trip could serve as a catalyst for better connections and he harbors a “deep appetite” for more signings.
The former Cleveland executive and the guard for Melbourne United, Matthew Dellavedova, were reunited during Monday’s training session as the NBL team prepares for the grand final’s second match against Illawarra. Dellavedova helped Griffin win the NBA title in 2016 in a team that featured LeBron James.
The owner of the Pelicans made the statement that the team’s return is not guaranteed, despite his opinions regarding Australian players. I conclude by saying, “I hope it goes well enough for the organization to see that it is worth returning.” The Victorian government is providing funding for the matches but declined to reveal the size of the commitment.
Kestelman stated that playing two NBA teams against each other would be a “challenge” due to the restrictive NBA bargaining agreement, despite his desire for the visit to be held annually. “Those things are usually locked away a few years ahead, but I would never count that out.”
In 2023, the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Football League played two exhibition games in Melbourne.
The Los Angeles Rams of the NFL will play a regular-season game in Victoria, the capital of Victoria, toward the end of 2026. The MCG is expected to host close to 100,000 people for the game. The Pelicans’ series will be broadcast by Australian broadcasters, with the second game taking place on Sunday afternoon to avoid clashing with the NRL grand final. This season, the Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference standings, which includes 15 teams.
The owner of the Pelicans made the statement that the team’s return is not guaranteed, despite his opinions regarding Australian players. “I hope it goes well enough for the organization to see that it is worth returning,” I say at the end. The Victorian government is providing funding for the matches, but declined to reveal the size of the commitment.