Press Release

Pelicans.com

The National Basketball Association announced Monday that the date of NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm will take place on July 29 beginning at 7 p.m. CT and will air on ABC and ESPN. 

The NBA also announced additional key dates relating to NBA Draft 2021 presented by State Farm®:  • NBA Draft Combine: Subject to evolving public health conditions, Microsoft Surface NBA Draft Combine 2021 is scheduled to take place Monday, June 21 through Sunday, June 27. ESPN networks plan to televise the NBA Draft Combine, with coverage featuring five-on-five games and strength and agility testing.  • NBA Draft Lottery: NBA Draft Lottery 2021 presented by State Farm® will take place on Tuesday, June 22, airing on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. CT.  • NBA Early Entry Application and Withdrawal Deadlines: The deadline for an early entry player to apply for this year’s NBA Draft is Sunday, May 30 at 10:59 p.m. CT. The deadline for an early entry player to withdraw from the NBA Draft is Monday, July 19 at 4 p.m. CT.  Additional information regarding the Draft, Combine and Lottery, including the location for each event, will be announced as details are finalized.

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2021 NBA Draft scheduled for July 29

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NBA All-Star Voting 2021 presented by AT&T, the official 5G wireless network of the NBA, will tip off Thursday, Jan. 28 at 11:00 a.m. CT and conclude on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 10:59 p.m. CT, giving fans the opportunity to vote for the NBA All-Star starters. Discussions surrounding a potential NBA All-Star Game are ongoing.

Throughout the voting period, fans may submit one full ballot each day via the NBA App and NBA.com, as well as vote for up to 10 unique players per day on Twitter.  All current NBA players will be available for selection.  Five “2-for-1 Days” will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Jan. 30, Feb. 2, Feb. 4, Feb. 13 and Feb. 16 through Twitter, NBA.com and the NBA App voting platforms. All “2-for-1 Days” will be designated from 11:00 p.m. CT – 10:59 p.m. CT.

NBA players and media will join fans in selecting the NBA All-Star starters. Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each. Players and media will be able to complete one ballot, featuring three frontcourt players and two guards from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

After all votes are tallied, players will be ranked in each conference by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups – fan votes, player votes and media votes.  Each player’s score will be calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes.  The two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference will be named NBA All-Star starters. Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score.

Fan voting updates will be shared on Thursday, Feb. 4 and Thursday, Feb. 11.  TNT will reveal this season’s NBA All-Star starters the evening of Thursday, Feb. 18 during TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by CarMax.  TNT will also announce the NBA All-Star reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 23.

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2021 NBA All-Star voting tips off Thursday, Jan. 28

The National Basketball Association announced today that the date of NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm has been moved to Wednesday, Nov. 18 and will air on ESPN.  The date remains subject to change as circumstances warrant.

The revised date allows additional time to conduct the 2020 pre-draft process, gather more information about the potential start date for the 2020-21 season and advance conversations between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association regarding related Collective Bargaining Agreement matters.

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2020 NBA Draft scheduled for Nov. 18

FOX Sports New Orleans’ encore programming continues tonight at 6:00 p.m. as Chris Finch, Associate Head Coach – Offense, breaks down the Pelicans’ road win over the Chicago Bulls from February 6, 2020.

During tonight’s telecast, Finch will address a number of different offensive concepts which include floor-spacing (1st qtr – 6:29), advance passes leading to advantages in transition (1st qtr – 2:13), drive-and-kicks leading to pass-pass combos (2nd qtr – 7:51), big-to-big playmaking out of a pick-and-roll (4th qtr – 12:00), high post position leading to a lob and dunk (4th qtr – 7:03), and team ball movement (4th qtr – 4:52).

Prior to tip-off, Finch will join Pelicans sideline reporter Jennifer Hale on “Pelicans Playback” at 5:30 p.m. “Pelicans Playback” is a 30-minute pregame show which is streamed live on Pelicans.com, the Pelicans App, and the Pelicans Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information on “Pelicans Playback”, please visit Pelicans.com.

Pelicans encore games on FOX Sports New Orleans are available statewide on cable and satellite providers Cox, DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse, and Charter: ⦁ Cox – Channel 38(SD) & 1038(HD)⦁ DirecTV – Channel 676-4(HD)⦁ AT&T U-verse – Channel 757(SD) & 1757(HD)⦁ Charter Spectrum – Channel 33(SD) & 810(HD)

Additionally, all Pelicans games televised on FOX Sports New Orleans can be streamed on FOX Sports GO.  FOX Sports GO is currently available on mobile and tablet devices, including iOS and Android as well as foxsportsgo.com. FOX Sports GO is also available on connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku Players and Roku TV, and Xbox One. Fans can download the app for free from the iTunes App Store,  Google Play,  Amazon App Store, Roku App Store, Xbox One App Store and Windows App Store.

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Chris Finch to serve as guest analyst for encore presentation of Pelicans vs. Bulls on FOX Sports New Orleans

To help support local gig and cultural economy workers impacted by COVID-19, the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) and WWL-TV will host "Live from the Porch," a virtual music event on Saturday, April 4, beginning at 4 p.m.

The event will feature a series of live performances from well-known local musicians, including Shamarr Allen, Robin Barnes and Pat Casey, Susan Cowsill, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, DJ Raj Smoove and more, during a social media broadcast accessible on both Facebook and Instagram via the FQFI and NOLABA pages.

NOLABA committed the first $100,000 to initiate the Gig Economy Relief Fund, with the goal of increasing its assets to a minimum of $500,000. Within its first week, the fund more than doubled in contributions, with major donations from Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, Baptist Community Ministries, Gulf Coast Bank, and more. With these generous donations from the local business community, as well as hundreds of smaller donations from engaged New Orleanians, the fund has since expanded to over $380,000.

With Live from the Porch, event organizers are hoping to raise additional resources for the relief fund, which has received over 1,200 applications as of March 30. In addition, the event will provide critical income for participating musicians, many of whom have been out of work due to recent closures and cancellations, as well as some much-needed joy and togetherness for residents during the “stay at home” mandate.

“We’re incredibly excited for this event, which will provide a little bit of light during this unprecedented period,” said NOLABA President & CEO Quentin Messer, Jr. “The generosity we’ve seen in support of this relief fund has been truly overwhelming and indicative of the compassion, strength and resiliency of the New Orleans community. We’re encouraging everyone to tune in to Live from the Porch to enjoy quality entertainment from some of our city’s most beloved musicians. Listen in and contribute to assist even more of our local gig workers as we continue to address and overcome the challenges of COVID-19 together.”

Research conducted in 2017 shows gig economy workers represent nearly 10% of the workforce in Orleans Parish, including rideshare drivers, musicians, arena workers, freelancers, and festival production staff, to name a few. In a city like New Orleans, internationally-known and loved for its large-scale festivals and events, many of these workers depend on the cultural calendar for reliable income. With so many of these celebrations on hold or canceled, especially during such a prime time in the year, this community stands to lose out on millions of dollars of potential income.

“The non-profit FQFI is proud to support this event,” said Emily Madero, President and CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. “The decision to postpone French Quarter Festival was a heavy one, particularly because of the impact we knew it would have on the artists, musicians, and hospitality workers that count on our event for their livelihood. Live from the Porch is aligned with our mission to showcase local talent and support the economic well-being of the community. The gig economy relief fund will provide much-needed resources to those on the front lines of our cultural economy.”

Live from the Porch will showcase some of New Orleans’ most iconic musical talents. Shamarr Allen has influences in jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk rhythms, blues and country. With a scintillating and unique sound, look, and exemplary talents, Shamarr Allen transcends musical boundaries. Singer Robin Barnes and husband Pat Casey are two of the city of New Orleans’ biggest ambassadors. Barnes' voice is as powerful with a whisper as it is with a scream and has given the artist the official distinction of the “Songbird of New Orleans." Susan Cowsill’s signature sound stems from '60s pop roots with seasonings of Louisiana groove, country, and rock. The youngest member of Louisiana’s legendary Cowsill family, Cowsill will be joined by her husband Russ Broussard for Live from the Porch.

Walter “Wolfman” Washington has been an icon on the New Orleans music scene for decades. Equally adept in virtually any genre, Washington stands out for his unique style and uncommon grace as a guitarist, bandleader and vocalist. Premiere New Orleans area DJ Raj Smoove, referred to as “The Greatest DJ in the World” by Lil Wayne, is well-known for his ability to draw crowds of any age or demographic with his unique, genre-less fluidity and audacious DJ style. Over the course of his 30-year career, he's performed at countless high-profile events such as NBA All-Star Weekend, Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival, and the National Urban League Conference where he deejayed for Stevie Wonder.

"Throughout this crisis, we have witnessed first-hand the incredible strain and burden that COVID-19 has placed upon our local artists and gig workers," said President & General Manager of WWL-TV Tod Smith. "We're so happy and proud to be partnering with such amazing organizations and musicians to put on this event, and hopefully make a real difference for our friends and neighbors during these uncertain times."

Musicians participating in Live From the Porch are being compensated for their performances, with fees underwritten by an innovative group of local entrepreneurs, known as Krewe de Nieux.

“Krewe de Nieux is a group of New Orleans' leading entrepreneurs who are constantly thinking about ways to positively impact our community,” said Brent McCrossen, Managing Director at Revelry StartUp Studio, founder of tech companies Audiosocket and LIDCORE, and member of Krewe de Nieux. “Beyond caring for each other, our staff, and our customers we understand the importance of giving back to our community. We’re thrilled to partner with New Orleans Business Alliance and French Quarter Festivals, Inc., and are honored to support the community during this trying time.”

Follow NOLABA on Facebook and Instagram @neworleansba and FQFI on Facebook @FQFestinc and on Instagram @fqfest for event updates, and tune in live this Saturday, April 4.

For more information or to donate to the Gig Economy Workers Relief Fund, please visit nolaba.org/relief-fund.

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New Orleans Business Alliance, French Quarter Festivals, Inc. and WWL-TV to host virtual concert benefiting local gig workers

The New Orleans Pelicans released the following statement regarding the NBA’s decision to suspend the season:

Last night, the NBA postponed our game against the Sacramento Kings out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of fans, players, coaches and staff. We fully support the NBA’s decision to suspend the season until further notice. The health and well-being of fans, players, coaches and staff will always be our organization’s top priority.

In addition to the constant communication we are having with the NBA, our team’s medical experts are fully engaged in conversations with local, state and federal health officials to ensure we are taking the necessary steps regarding COVID-19.

Under the guidance of our medical experts, all team employees are being advised on the appropriate measures that should be taken if they feel ill and experience symptoms, which includes seeking immediate medical attention.

As we continue to gather information and closely monitor the evolving situation, we will provide updates to our fans, ticketholders and team partners as they become available.

We extend our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by the public health pandemic, and thank our Pelicans family for their continued patience, support and understanding.

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Statement from the New Orleans Pelicans on NBA's suspended season

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Nicolò Melli. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Melli, 6-9, 235, joins the Pelicans after a successful 12-year professional career in Europe with stops in Italy (Reggiana, Olimpia Milano, VL Pesaro), Germany (Brose Bamberg) and most recently Turkey (Fenerbahçe), where he made consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances in 2018 and 2019. Dating to the start of the 2015-16 season, Melli totaled more rebounds than any other EuroLeague player while shooting 42.1% (131/311) from behind the three-point line. In 207 career EuroLeague games overall, Melli averaged 7.4 points on 38.7% shooting from three-point range, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

The Italian native has racked up numerous accolades in Europe, including a three-time Italian League All-Star (2011-13), Italian League Champion (2014), two-time German League Champion (2016, 2017) and First-Team selection (2016, 2017), German Cup Winner (2017), All-EuroLeague Second-Team honors (2017), Turkish League Champion (2018) and EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (2018), including a EuroLeague record 28 points in the final game, and Turkish Cup Winner (2019).

Melli has also represented Italy in international competition, earning a silver medal at the European U-20 Championships in 2011, and has played for the Italian Senior National Team, competing in EuroBasket in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

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Pelicans sign Nicolò Melli

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Zylan Cheatham and guard Josh Gray to two-way contracts. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Cheatham, 6-8, 220, joined the Pelicans’ Summer League team after going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019. In six Summer League games, Cheatham averaged 5.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. During his senior season at Arizona State, the Phoenix native started all 34 games and averaged 12.1 points, a Pac-12 leading 10.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on his way to Pac-12 First-Team and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.

Gray, 6-1, 182, most recently appeared in six games as a member of the Brooklyn Nets’ 2019 Summer League team, averaging 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. As a member of the Korean Basketball League’s Changwon LG Sakers in 2018-19, Gray averaged 17.3 points, 3.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 24.3 minutes per game. Undrafted out of Louisiana State University in 2016, Gray appeared in 95 games (37 starts) with the G League’s Northern Arizona Suns from 2016-18, averaging 16.2 points, 5.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 29.3 minutes per game. He also appeared in five NBA games with the Phoenix Suns during the 2017-18 season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 17.2 minutes per contest.

Per NBA rules, teams are permitted sign two players to two-way contracts in addition to the 15-man regular season roster. A two-way player for the Pelicans will provide services primarily to the team’s NBA G League affiliate – the Erie BayHawks – but can spend up to 45 days with New Orleans, not including any time prior to the start of Erie’s training camp and at the conclusion of their season.

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Pelicans sign Cheatham and Gray to two-way contracts

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