Featured image credit: NBA
The NBA will play its first games in Australia later this year, with the New Orleans Pelicans to head to Melbourne for two pre-season fixtures against NBL teams.
The Pelicans will play Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix at Rod Laver Arena on October 3 and October 5. The NBL will serve as the official promoter and organiser of what has been dubbed the Melbourne Series.
Rod Laver Arena, which has a retractable roof, is primarily used to host the Australian Open tennis event and has a capacity of around 15,000. Tickets for the games will go on sale at a later date, with fans now able to register their interest and gain access to presale information.
The NBA, the NBL and the Pelicans will also conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and lifestyle events leading up to and during the week of the games, including a Fan Night on October 4. The two basketball leagues also plan on expanding their grassroots development efforts in the Asia-Pacific region.
Pelicans governor Gayle Benson said: “We are honoured to be part of this historic occasion for basketball in Australia. This collaboration with the NBL and NBA to bring the Pelicans to Melbourne provides an exceptional opportunity to engage with our global fan base and share the rich spirit and culture of New Orleans with basketball fans in the region.
“We look forward to competing against Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix, and collaborating with the NBA and NBL to inspire and develop the next generation of athletes across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Larry Kestelman, executive director and owner of the NBL, added: “The significance of this announcement for basketball in Australia and the NBL can’t be overstated. Hosting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone at the NBL, and to see this initiative finally come to fruition after a 15-year journey shows that much can be accomplished when you ‘Dream Big’.”
Since 2016, seven NBL teams have travelled to the US to play 24 pre-season games against NBA teams. The NBA twice collaborated with the NBL to host Basketball Without Borders, a global basketball development and community outreach programme, in Australia, with Melbourne and Perth hosting in 2016 and 2024, respectively.
In other news, the US-based BIG3 competition has announced plans to host a showcase event in Australia this November.
BIG3 has partnered with the NBL and GameAbove Sports to bring a contingent of its top players to Australian cities, with more details to be released after the BIG3 season gets underway on June 14.
The three-on-three league was founded by rapper, filmmaker and actor Ice Cube and entertainment mogul Jeff Kwatinetz back in 2017. The league staged an event at The O2 in London in 2023.
Ice Cube said: “This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. We’ve wanted to bring our players to compete on the international stage for years, and we can’t think of a better place to do just that than in Australia among some of the best basketball fans in the world.
“The energy, culture, and love for basketball in Australia is astounding, making it a perfect fit for us. What the NBL has done to grow the game is incredible and together with GameAbove, we see no limit to this partnership. We can’t wait to bring Aussie fans the power of the BIG3 live in November, and perhaps beyond.”
BIG3 has also hosted regular-season games in Nassau in the Bahamas and Toronto in Canada.
Share this