The NBA may not be in Nashville in terms of a team, but they will have a preseason presence in Music City. The New Orleans Pelicans will be practicing at Belmont University’s Crockett Center for Athletic Excellence from Oct. 1-6. It’s the Pelicans’ second time coming to town. They were at the Crockett Center for voluntary team activities months after the facility opened in May 2021. The Pelicans are also not the first team who’s taken advantage of the facility. Belmont has previously hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls.
“We have enjoyed a great relationship with the Pelicans’ organization over the years and are honored to welcome the organization back to Nashville and the Belmont campus,” Belmont Athletics Director Scott Corley said in a release. “The Crockett Center has quickly established a reputation as one of the finest training facilities in the country — and we appreciate another opportunity to showcase Belmont at the highest level.”
The Pelicans have high hopes for an even better year in 2024-25 than they did last season, when they finished with a strong 49-33 mark in the highly competitive Western Conference. They made it out of the play-in tournament and into the playoffs, but then ran into a buzzsaw in the Oklahoma City Thunder. They were swept 4-0 in the first round, something they certainly hope to change this coming year. The Pelicans will open their preseason schedule Oct. 7 vs. the Orlando Magic.
“We are extremely appreciative of Scott Corley, head coach Casey Alexander and the Belmont Bruins basketball program for opening their facilities to our team,” David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, said in a statement. “We are excited to hold a competitive week of training camp practices and team activities in Nashville.”
Unfortunately, for any NBA fans who want to get an early glimpse of the Pelicans, all training camp practices and team activities are closed to the general public.
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