New Orleans Pelicans to play NBA exhibition series in Melbourne

The New Orleans Pelicans are set to be unveiled as the NBA team to contest a landmark exhibition series against two Melbourne NBL teams in October.

A senior government source confirmed on Monday that the Pelicans, led by enigmatic star Zion Williamson and gun shooter CJ McCollum, would stage the NBA pre-season matches.

Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans are bound for Melbourne.Credit: AP

In a major boost for the NBL, the Pelicans are expected to play local teams Melbourne United and South East Melbourne Phoenix in an exhibition series. An announcement is expected on Tuesday.

Young Australian basketball star Dyson Daniels was traded from New Orleans to the Atlanta Hawks at the end of last season, leaving the Pelicans without an Australian on their roster.

Under coach Willie Green, the Pelicans have struggled this season, falling into second-last place in the western conference, but expect to rebuild through the June draft.

Williamson, 24, was the No.1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, when he was national college player of the year with Duke University. He is a two-time NBA all-star, but injury and fitness issues have hampered his career.

NBL bosses have long wanted a game between two NBA clubs in Melbourne, but this announcement is a major step towards the realisation of that plan.

The deal between the NBA, the NBL and the Victorian government comes as the NBL collaborates with rap mogul Ice Cube to promote his Big3 basketball league.

In town: Rapper Ice Cube will bring his Big3 basketball league to Melbourne in November.Credit: Invision/AP

Ice Cube said in Melbourne on Monday that Australian sports including the AFL should consider inviting private owners to buy into clubs and franchises to tap into millions of dollars of investment.

Major US sports are dominated by prominent owners and investors, including Dallas Cowboys boss Jerry Jones, who attracts as many, if not more, headlines than his players in a franchise worth, according to Forbes, over $15 billion – the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

“He [Jones] is a larger-than-life figure, kind of like what Jerry Buss was with the [Los Angeles] Lakers, and George Steinbrenner [New York Yankees], Mark Cuban [Dallas Mavericks] to a certain extent. They become just as famous as the players,” the rap mogul said.

“Brand identity goes through them. The Big3, without a guy like me, would have a harder time to push to get attention, get people’s interest. I think more people are curious about the Big3 because [people ask] … what is Ice Cube doing with basketball, and what is going on here? That helped us get eyeballs.”

The AFL has not had private owners since ill-fated experiments with the Brisbane Bears and Sydney Swans that ended in the early ’90s. The AFL also once fielded an offer to launch the Los Angeles Crocodiles.

Most AFL clubs are member-based organisations and the competition is classified as not for profit.

There has been an explosion in investment in sports, including this year in the United Kingdom, where cricket’s The Hundred has become a hot commodity, prompting renewed debate that Cricket Australia should do the same with Big Bash League franchises. Emerging sports, including pickleball, have also become popular among investors in the US.

Ice Cube’s 12-team competition, with NBA great Clyde Drexler as its commissioner, is now in its eighth season. It recently sold four franchises – in Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Detroit – for more than $15 million each, according to Forbes, and has emerged as the world’s premier three-on-three competition.

Should the AFL consider privatisation, Ice Cube, who redefined rap music and has appeared in a host of television shows and films, including the groundbreaking Boyz N the Hood, and directed the ESPN documentary Straight Outta L.A., on his beloved Raiders and their time in Los Angeles, said the value of AFL clubs could follow the expected trajectory of his Big3.

“Reaching the first bar, we sold four teams, and now teams five and six will sell for more money. All boats start to rise. Now, the first teams are worth more money,” said the rapper, who played at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday night.

“It’s … a valuation thing. We have seen leagues that are not even profitable scale quickly when it comes to team valuations. We feel like that is going to happen with the Big3.”

He said the Big3 games would be held in November.

“We wanted to bring an exhibition here and show Australian sports fans what the Big3 is all about. The possibilities are endless.”

NBL head of basketball operations Vince Crivelli said the partnership with Big3 was no gimmick.

“This partnership is significant and meaningful. We are both committed to growing our game and providing fans with the highest level of on-court talent, mixed with a unique entertainment package,” Crivelli said.

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