Pelicans' trip to Australia for preseason games is a first for the NBA

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Australia has seen plenty of its players in the NBA over the years: Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Andrew Bogut, Ben Simmons, Luc Longley, Matthew Dellavedova and Josh Giddey, to name a few. Kyrie Irving was born there as well.

And now, an NBA team is going to play Down Under.

The New Orleans Pelicans made the nearly 10,000-mile trip this week for a pair of games — first Friday against Melbourne United, then Sunday against the South East Melbourne Phoenix. Both of those clubs are from Australia’s top league, the NBL. The Pelicans arrived in Melbourne on Tuesday.

There's a historical aspect, in being the first NBA team to go to Australia, and there's also a slew of other perks that can bring a team together on such a trip, Pelicans coach Willie Green said. NBA players have competed in Australia before, including on United States teams during the 2000 Sydney Olympics and ahead of the 2019 Basketball World Cup, but this is the first time a franchise has traveled there together.

“This is a great bonding opportunity for all of our guys,” Green said. “We're excited about interacting with the fans in Australia. For many of us, it’s our first time in Australia. They're super excited. We're going to really get a good look at our guys, get some dinners together, do some fan engagements and come out of this stronger.”

A pair of Hall of Famers, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, planned to appear at the games. An open practice, a fan night, a Junior NBA clinic for 50 Australian kids and more activities are planned, with the Pelicans expected back in New Orleans late Sunday night.

“I’ve never been to Australia before, so this is a personal bucket list travel experience," forward Trey Murphy said. “I get to make this trip with some of my best friends and play basketball. It's something I love, and I'm really excited about that. This is a game you play as a child, and it’s taking me and my teammates all across the globe.”

These games will be Murphy's first since his 2024-25 season ended prematurely because of injury.

“It's great to be back on the court with my brothers and get this show started,” Murphy said.

These games are among eight in international locales during the NBA preseason. Philadelphia and New York play Thursday and Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Orlando and Miami open their preseasons on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Denver and Toronto play Monday in Vancouver, and on Oct. 10 and 12, Phoenix and Brooklyn will play in Macao, China — the league’s first time playing in that country since 2019.

There are also a number of U.S. cities that don’t have NBA teams hosting preseason games, including San Diego; Palm Desert, California; Oceanside, California; North Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Worth, Texas; Birmingham, Alabama; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Las Vegas.

Talks about the Pelicans' trip to Melbourne began when Dyson Daniels — an Australian product — was playing for the club. He was traded to Atlanta in the deal that sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in 2024, but the Pelicans saw plenty of value in making the trip to Australia regardless.

“Any time we get an opportunity to use the platform that we’ve been blessed to have and impact other people, especially by going to different countries, it’s an honor, really,” Green said. “Credit to the NBA, credit to our organization, all the folks in Australia. Because to put this on, it takes a lot. It just goes to show you the reach of the NBA and how global the game has become. So, we’re grateful to have this opportunity.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba