Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
The NBA and Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism announced an extension of their partnership Thursday, with the league agreeing to continue bringing preseason games to the Middle East and the sides completing talks to launch a new global academy in the United Arab Emirates' capital for top boys players. Financial terms were not disclosed, though it's reasonable to expect that the nine-year extension would be worth well over $300 million — based on how the DCT agreed to pay the EuroLeague a reported 25 million euros ($29.2 million) to play host to that league's Final Four last year.
Dubai Basketball have officially announced the signing of American forward Matt Ryan after a challenging 4–6 start to the EuroLeague campaign.
Scott Agness: Former Pacer Glenn Robinson III signed a deal to join Sharjah Basketball Club, which plays in the UAE Basketball Association.
Advertisement
Ex-Mavericks player McKinley Wright signed with Emirati team BC Dubai until the 2026-27 season.
The New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers will headline the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025, set for October 2 and 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. It will be the fourth straight year Abu Dhabi hosts preseason NBA action. “We are thrilled to welcome two of the NBA’s most iconic teams,” said Saleh Al Geziry from Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism. The games are presented by ADQ and highlight the league’s continued expansion into the Middle East.
“Fans in Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to see two of the NBA’s historic franchises when the Knicks and 76ers face off in October,” added George Aivazoglou, managing director of the NBA for Europe and Middle East, “We look forward to engaging fans and aspiring players from the local community and across the region for the fourth consecutive year, through our games and surrounding events.” In connection with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Abu Dhabi is set to host the Final Four of the 2024-25 season between May 23 and 25.
Advertisement
Since the NBA and FIBA jointly announced their intention to explore the creation of a new league in Europe, many of the certainties surrounding the future of European basketball have gradually faded, and a sense of uncertainty has begun to spread. Among the teams that are considering all possible scenarios, we can now add Dubai. Multiple sources have told BasketNews that the NBA has contacted Dubai's management in recent days, inquiring about their availability to join the new project.
A few months after putting the NBA champion Boston Celtics up for sale, majority owner Wyc Grousbeck was in the Middle East pitching the team to one of the region’s biggest investors. The Celtics played preseason games in Abu Dhabi in October as part of the NBA’s third annual trip to the capital of the United Arab Emirates. During that trip, Grousbeck met with Mubadala Investment Co., one of the country’s sovereign wealth funds, to discuss a potential investment, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The US league has held pre-season games in Abu Dhabi since 2022, and the annual NBA Cup, which started last week, is now sponsored by Dubai airline Emirates. "These games are part of the Emirati government's efforts to distract from the many human rights violations it is committing at home and abroad," HRW said in a statement.
