NBA franchise the New Orleans Pelicans are the latest American sports team to agree to play in Australia, after officials locked in a two-match exhibition series against NBL sides Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix in October.
Organisers are hoping to sell out the matches at 14,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena, held on the weekend following the AFL grand final, as well as draw a large crowd to two open training sessions to be held at Melbourne Park.
Before the 2025–26 season, which begins in late October, the Pelicans have promised to send a full team, including Zion Williamson, who was selected No. 1 in the draft, to Australia for a preseason trip. Larry Kestelman, who owns the NBL, stated that he wanted it to be the first of many such outings and that it would be a “celebration” of Australian basketball. “I do believe this is the first, but not the last.”
David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, stated that talks with Kestelman had been going on for more than a decade. After he traded Boomers guard Dyson Daniels to the Atlanta Hawks last year, Griffin hoped to sign another Australian before the October visit. He stated, “I think there’s a commitment to excellence here that I would like us to become synonymous with the way athletes in general are raised here, not just basketball players.” Griffin explained the Daniels trade was “the right thing to do at the right time”. Because he has 178 steals this season, which is 66 more than the player in second place, the Australian is now a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. “At that time, it had absolutely nothing to do with our belief in Dyson,” Griffin stated. Griffin added that the information gathered by an Australian scout who was working full-time at the time was one factor in the decision to draft Daniels in 2022. The staff has been reorganized by the team since then, and no player is still committed to Australia. Griffin, on the other hand, has a “deep appetite” for signing more players and hopes that this trip will help him connect with more people. The former Cleveland executive has close connections to Australia, and he was reunited with Melbourne United guard Matthew Dellavedova at training on Monday as the NBL side prepares for the second match of the grand final against Illawarra. Dellavedova helped Griffin win the NBA title in 2016 in a team that featured LeBron James.
The Pelicans boss stated that there is no guarantee that the Pelicans will return, 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, despite his desire for the visit to be held annually, playing two NBA teams against one another would be a “challenge” due to the restrictive NBA bargaining agreement. “Those things are usually locked away a few years ahead, but I would never count that out.”
Two exhibition games between the Los Angeles Kings and the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League were played in Melbourne in 2023. Victoria, Victoria’s capital, will host a regular-season game of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams toward the end of 2026. For the game, it is anticipated that close to 100,000 people will attend the MCG. Australian broadcasters will cover the Pelicans’ series, with the second game on Sunday afternoon to avoid clashing with the NRL grand final. The Pelicans are out of NBA playoff contention this year, and sit 14th in the 15-team Western Conference standings.
