If you want to see the New Orleans Pelicans play during the preseason, you'll have to do a little traveling. Or a lot of traveling if you decide to go to the first two games.聽
The Pelicans announced their preseason schedule on Tuesday. As previously announced in March, the Pelicans will play their first two preseason games in Melbourne, Australia. They will play Melbourne United on Oct. 3 and South East Melbourne Phoenix on Oct. 4.
After that, the Pelicans will return to the United States and play the Houston Rockets on Oct. 14. That game will be played in Birmingham, Alabama, home of the G League affiliate Birmingham Squadron. The Pelicans will wrap up the preseason on Oct. 16 in a road game against the Orlando Magic.
The Pelicans also played the Magic (twice) and the Rockets in the preseason last year.
The first two preseason games will be the first time an NBA team has played in Australia. Those two games are against teams from the National Basketball League, a professional basketball league in Australia.
鈥淲e are honored to be part of this historic occasion for basketball in Australia,鈥 Pelicans governor Gayle Benson said in March when those games were announced. 鈥淭his 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.鈥
The trip to Australia will be more than just the game. The NBA, the NBL and the Pelicans will conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and lifestyle events leading up to and during the week of the games. That includes a fan night on Oct. 4.
鈥淗osting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone at the NBL,鈥 NBL executive director Larry Kestelman said in March. 鈥淎nd to see this initiative finally come to fruition after a 15-year journey shows that much can be accomplished when you 鈥楧ream Big.鈥 鈥
The preseason will give a glimpse of the roster that first-year has assembled.
The NBA typically announces the regular-season schedule in August.
