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- The NBA, NBL and Visit Victoria have confirmed the New Orleans Pelicans will travel to Melbourne in October 2025 to play two preseason games.
- The matches against Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix will be the first NBA games ever played in Australia.
- The NBA Australian games will be played in Melbourne Park on Friday, October 3 and Sunday, October 5, 2025.
Showtime basketball is headed Down Under. On Tuesday, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) confirmed that the New Orleans Pelicans will play two preseason games in Melbourne this October. Set to face off against NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix, the Zion Williamson-led Pelicans will become the first team to play NBA-sanctioned games on Australian soil.
Both preseason games will be held in Melbourne Park, with the first match against Melbourne United to take place on October 3, while the clash between the Pelicans and the South East Melbourne Phoenix is scheduled for October 5. In addition to this, the NBA, Pelicans, and NBL confirmed that a string of community outreach and fan engagement events will be held in the lead-up to the event.
Who is Playing in the Melbourne NBA Game?
The blockbuster announcement confirms rumours raised earlier this year when ESPN reported that the NBA, NBL and Visit Victoria were nearing a deal to send one team Down Under. At the time, it was speculated that the matches would take place in the preseason portion of the 2025-26 season and would likely involve the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers or Washington Wizards.
In a landmark decision, however, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of Basketball Operations David Griffin and New Orleans Pelicans governor Gayle Benson confirmed that their Western Conference team would be the one making the 15,000km journey.
“We are honoured to be part of this historic occasion for basketball in Australia,” Benson said. “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.”
New Orleans Pelicans
Led by two-time NBA All-Star Zion Williamson, 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray and 2015-16 Kia NBA Most Improved Player CJ McCollum, the New Orleans Pelicans will bring a stellar amount of star power Down Under. It must be said that the preseason games will provide an important stepping stone for the young team. Sitting at a lowly 17-48 for the 2024-25 season, the Pelicans find themselves in second-last spot in the Western Conference, largely due to injuries to key players.
Murray is out for the season with an Achilles injury, while Williamson is just now returning from a lengthy stint on the sidelines. By the time the October Australian NBA games roll around, both should be healthy and deep into preseason preparations, which would be a major win for local fans. As New Orleans Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha explained, the opportunity provides a tremendous platform to grow the game in what is being referred to as a ‘gateway market’.
“This is an exciting moment for our organization and a testament to the growing global impact of the NBA,” Lauscha said. “Bringing the Pelicans and NBA to Australia for the first time is a proud milestone, and we are thrilled to be part of this unique opportunity to engage with fans in Melbourne. We look forward to competing against two outstanding NBL teams and creating unforgettable memories for our fans. This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a lasting connection between the Pelicans and the basketball community in Australia.”
NBA Melbourne Games 2025
- New Orleans Pelicans vs. Melbourne United
Friday, 3 October 2025
Melbourne Park, Melbourne, VIC - New Orleans Pelicans vs. South East Melbourne Phoenix
Sunday, 5 October 2025
Melbourne Park, Melbourne, VIC
NBA Melbourne Ticket Information
The NBL has not confirmed the official ticket prices for the NBA games in Melbourne. Instead, the sporting organisation is encouraging fans to register their interest and gain access to presale information. According to the NBL, all tickets for the games and surrounding events will go on sale at a “later date”.
NBL x NBA in Australia
The NBA in Melbourne announcement comes amid a period of major growth for domestic basketball. With 15 Australian players currently on NBA rosters, representation has never been stronger, and the NBA has been vocal about capitalising on the surge in interest.
In 2016, the NBA and NBL joined forces for an international pathway program designed to give Australian players greater exposure to the international game. Since then, seven NBL teams have travelled to the U.S. to play 24 preseason games against NBA teams. Additionally, the NBA has twice collaborated with the NBL to host Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.
To date, nine players from the NBL’s Next Stars program have been drafted directly from the NBL into the NBA, including Ousmane Dieng (Oklahoma City Thunder), Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls), LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), and 2024 No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards). A record four Next Stars were selected in the 2024 NBA Draft: Sarr, AJ Johnson (Wizards), Bobi Klintman (Detroit Pistons) and Ariel Hukporti (New York Knicks).
“The significance of this announcement for basketball in Australia and the NBL can’t be overstated,” NBL executive director Larry Kestelman said. “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.”
Other NBA Melbourne Activation
In addition to the games, the NBA, the NBL and the Pelicans are set to roll out a series of community outreach activations and lifestyle events. Held in the lead-up to and during the week of the games, the ‘NBA Cares’ community initiatives will provide a unique opportunity for basketball fans to get involved with the sport from an audience-first perspective.
“These historic games and the surrounding events will not only be a celebration of basketball but will also serve as a catalyst for the continued growth of the game in Australia,” NBA Asia head of strategy Rajah Chaudhry said. “We look forward to working with the Pelicans, the NBL and Visit Victoria to make this a memorable week for the teams, players and most importantly the fans.”
The organisation has yet to confirm the full lineup of events to be held during the week; however, it has revealed that a Fan Night will be held on Saturday, October 4. Furthermore, the NBA and the NBL have outlined plans to expand their grassroots basketball development efforts in Asia-Pacific at the youth and elite levels in the coming years.
