A former McNeese standout basketball player is headed to the Big Easy. Christian Shumate has been named to the New Orleans Pelicans’ 2025 Summer League roster, the organization announced on Sunday.
Shumate concluded his collegiate career this past season, helping guide McNeese to its second-straight Southland Conference regular season. The soon-to-be 24-year-old also helped the Cowboys win a second tournament championship as well as the basketball program’s second-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and first-ever tournament win as the Pokes took down the Clemson Tigers 69-67.
The 6’6″ guard out of Chicago Heights, Illinois, became the second Cowboy in as many years to play summer league ball for the NBA. Shahada Wells was the other when he played for the Houston Rockets summer league team last season.
Pelicans Assistant Coach Corey Brewer will serve as the team’s summer league head coach. The roster features Pelicans’ 2025 NBA Draft selections Jeremiah Fears (7th overall pick), Derik Queen (13th overall pick), and Micah Peavy (40th overall pick); two-way players Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson; as well as Keion Brooks Jr., Yves Missi, Lester Quiñones, and Antonio Reeves, who each played for New Orleans during the 2024-25 season.
Summer league training camp practices for the Pelicans will be from July 6-8th at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Practice times and media availability information will be sent via email.
New Orleans will begin summer league play on Thursday, July 10, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by games against the Los Angeles Lakers (July 12), Portland Trail Blazers (July 15), and Oklahoma City Thunder (July 16). The date and opponent for the Pelicans’ fifth game will be determined by the results of the first four games.
All 76 games of the 11-day competition will air live on ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, and ESPN3) or NBA TV. Every game will also be available to stream on the ESPN App.