The NBA continues to expand their market as they’ve confirmed two preseason games overseas. They’ve cooperated with the National Basketball League (NBL), to play two exhibition games against two of their teams in their basketball league. The New Orleans Pelicans will play against Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix in Melbourne Park. The first game will be on Friday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025.
Additionally, the league will have “NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and lifestyle events,” according to the press release. Also, a Fan Night on Saturday, Oct. 4, will be part of their line of events. Both leagues also plan to expand their grassroots basketball program.
David Griffin, the executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, confirmed the league’s cooperation. NBL Executive Director & Owner Larry Kestelman and NBA Asia Head of Strategy Rajah Chaudhry also corroborated the revelation.
“We are honored 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 fanbase 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,” Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson said.
“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’. I want to thank Adam Silver, Mark Tatum, Michael Ma and the team at the NBA for being open to this amazing vision and for their continued support of our League,” Kestelman said in the league’s statement.
Pelicans executive confirm that their full team will be present to represent the NBA
The Pelicans have enough time to prepare their players and put on a show for the Australian crowd. During the announcement, Griffin boasted that the team will have a full roster when they play at the preseason games.
“One thing that we will do that will be unprecedented, I believe,” Griffin said. “Is we’re gonna do a good portion, maybe not all of. But we’re gonna try to be here prior to the games for the portion of our training camps. Our full roster will be in attendance. These games will be really meaningful for us.”
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
