The 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena will be packed to the rafters on both October 3 and October 5 as the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United squads get a testing workout in what will be a history-making pair of exhibition matches.
An NBA roster will play on Australian soil for the first time as the Pelicans, who are potentially in line for the number one draft pick later this year, bring a squad that could include two-time NBA All-Star Zion Williamson as well as other household names Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum and potentially their top draft pick.
NBL-NBA cross-league exhibitions are nothing new, with NBL sides regularly sending teams over to the United States to take part in the NBA pre-season, though this will be the first time an NBA franchise has repaid the gesture to come down under.
New Orleans Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha described the two-game exhibition series as "just the beginning of what we hope will be a lasting connection between the Pelicans and the basketball community in Australia” in a hint that perhaps the city could one day realise a decades-long ambition to host an NBA game for points.
NBA Asia-Pacific head strategist Rajah Chaudhry has hailed the upcoming event as "a celebration of basketball (which) will also serve as a catalyst for the continued growth of the game in Australia."
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze marked the announcement as "incredible".
"To see the journey the NBL has gone on – from playing at the Albert Park stadium to now on the biggest stage against an NBA team in Australia – is absolutely amazing and showcases how respected the league is on a global stage.
"Hosting an NBA team in Australia has been a long-held dream for everyone ... I’m so proud to see how far our sport has come."
The news emerged not only days after BIG3 co-CEO Ice Cube confirmed that the eighth season of his 3x3 competition will be bringing its first ever international showcase to Australia, but is also in the wake of February's confirmation that Melbourne will be hosting the first NFL regular season on Australian soil in 2026, whilst another round of pre-season NHL matches is also in the works for 2025/26.
The series is expected to be officially announced as early as Tuesday, with details on ticketing to come shortly after.