New Orleans Pelicans’ full roster will hit Melbourne in October for two historic games against NBL teams

A New Orleans Pelicans team boss has confirmed an important detail about the NBA outfit’s trip to Melbourne in October.

The New Orleans Pelicans have vowed to bring their “full roster”, including former No.1 pick Zion Williamson, to Melbourne in October for two historic games against NBL teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix.

United, up 1-0 in the NBL grand final series, and the Phoenix will each take on the Pelicans in the first appearance of an NBA team in a game on Australian soil.

A plan that NBL boss Larry Kestelman said was “15 years in the making” had finally come to fruition after the deal was confirmed in Melbourne on Tuesday morning.

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said the visit was just as big a deal for his team.

He said it would mark a key piece of their training camp for the next NBA season and all players would be involved.

The Pelicans currently feature two-time NBA All-Star Williamson, 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray and former most improved player CJ McCollum.

“The one thing that we will do that will be unprecedented is we are going to do a good portion of and be here for our training camp,” Griffin said.

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are heading to Melbourne. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“Our full roster will be in attendance. These games will be really meaningful for us and we know the NBL is going to stack those two teams as well as they can to create a very competitive environment.”

Griffin said Australian basketballers were already “coveted” by leagues around the world and a showdown on home soil with the Pelicans in October could be another launching pad for the best local players.

“I can tell you that the way this league is run, the competitiveness of the league, Australian basketball players are coveted by leagues all over the world,” he said.

NBL boss Larry Kestelman said there was a strong sense of “pride” in getting the deal done.

“The juggernaut the NBA is, to show the trust that it has in the NBL and partner with us shows how far we have come,” he said.

“It’s a special moment for all the fans of basketball … to be able to see it on our shores is an extraordinary moment.

“It’s been 15 years in the making. It’s taken us a long time to get the trust, to get the respect of the biggest basketball organisation in the world.”

Originally published as New Orleans Pelicans’ full roster will hit Melbourne in October for two historic games against NBL teams