Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Dubai officially announced the hiring of Tristan Thompson as its new global ambassador on Thursday morning. The former NBA champion is set to support the EuroLeague franchise in expanding its international footprint, driving fan engagement, and establishing the club as a major hub. This move marks an exciting new chapter for 35-year-old Thompson following his retirement from professional basketball.
“Dubai has become a place where sport, business, culture, and opportunity are all moving at pace, at the same time,” said Tristan Thompson. “Dubai Basketball is building something that feels bigger than a team. There is a real opportunity to make Dubai a global basketball hub, connecting talent, fans, and opportunity across the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. I am excited to support the club’s journey and help build an environment where players want to come, stay, and compete at the highest level.”
Mamadi Diakite is the new member of Dubai, announced the club on social media. After a season with Baskonia, the former NCAA champion with Florida Gators and NBA champion with Milwaukee Bucks has decided on a new destination and signed a multi-year contract with the Dubai team.
The ongoing instability in the Middle East has disrupted travel across the region, leaving multiple basketball figures unable to leave the United Arab Emirates after airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi were closed. Partizan players Dylan Osetkowski and Shake Milton are among those stranded, while Meridian Sport reports that Duane Washington also remains in Dubai after traveling there during the national team break.
The NextGen EuroLeague tournament being held in Abu Dhabi will be cancelled after initially being temporarily suspended. The EuroLeague has announced that the tournament, which was supposed to resume at 17:00 local time with the matchup between AS Monaco and Aris, won't continue. "Euroleague Basketball regrets to announce the cancellation of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifying tournament in Abu Dhabi," the EuroLeague said in a statement. "In light of the current situation in the region, this decision has been made to guarantee the safety and security of all participants." "After careful evaluation and ongoing consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders, it was determined that cancelling the event is the most responsible course of action at this time." According to Gigantes del Basket, the tournament was stopped during the AS Monaco vs. Aris game earlier today following attacks on military bases near the venue.
Advertisement
In a press conference on Monday, Dubai's executives Eisa Sharif Al Marzooqi and Dejan Kamenjasevic explained their ambition to join the EuroLeague instead of focusing on NBA Europe, saying the EuroLeague is the best basketball competition on the continent and that for now it’s too hard to predict what will happen with NBA Europe in the future. "For us, I think looking at last year's performance and what Dubai has put together, it's an opportunity and being part of the EuroLeague itself is a great opportunity. What comes in the future, we'll talk in time," Al Marzooqi, Director of Sports Events Department at the Dubai Sports Council, stated.
Formed less than two years ago, Dubai Basketball will begin playing next month in the EuroLeague, widely considered the second-best basketball competition in the world, and is the first sports team based in the Emirate to compete in an international league. Dejan Kamenjašević is one of the leading characters in this meteoric sporting rise. A Bosnian who grew up in Spain, the 50-year-old arrived in Dubai 11 years ago with an ambition to grow the sport and eventually build a franchise that would compete at the highest level. “At that time, people were laughing at me and joking with me, and I was a crazy guy who is saying some nonsense things,” Kamenjašević told The Athletic. “But time sometimes puts everyone in our place.”
For Bertāns, who became aware of Dubai’s potential after his agent moved there a few years ago, a three-year deal was particularly enticing. “After being traded in the NBA for the last few seasons, in season and in the summer, the moves for the family were just getting harder, with the kids having to find new schools.” he told The Athletic. “If I come from the NBA, with eight years there, I made more money than I probably need, and I’m still going to come to every practice and give 100 percent effort that just sets an example.”
With the VTB United League SuperCup 2025 heading to Belgrade and Dubai among the four contenders, Davis Bertans will skip the preseason tournament. The 32-year-old combo forward of Dubai announced his decision following the first practice with the senior national team of Latvia, heading to the EuroBasket 2025.
Eurohoops: 🇺🇸✍️ Dwayne Bacon officially joins Dubai and makes his return to the EuroLeague! pic.x.com/KrTGAXe18L
🇺🇸✍️ Dwayne Bacon officially joins Dubai and makes his return to the EuroLeague! pic.twitter.com/KrTGAXe18L
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) July 16, 2025
Advertisement
Dionysis Aravantinos: Dubai this offseason: Dzanan Musa ✍🏻 2028 Dwayne Bacon ✍🏻 2028 Aleksa Avramovic ✍🏻 2028 Mam Jaiteh ✍🏻 2027 McKinley Wright ✍🏻 2027 Kenan Kemenjas ✍🏻 2027 Making moves ahead of their first EuroLeague season.
Which city, anywhere in the world, should the NBA pick for expansion? Las Vegas: 8 Seattle: 4 Paris: 4 Mexico City, London, Nashville, Dubai, Saint-Tropez: 1 Powell: “I live there, so if Vegas got a team, I’d be the first one to apply.” Garland: “Nashville, because I live there. How about we move Memphis to Nashville, put a team in Vegas, a team in Paris, a team in Dubai and a team in Saint-Tropez?”
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.
To mark the occasion, the NBA Cup trophy made its way from Dubai to New York on an Airbus A380 sporting the new NBA-themed livery, which features a bright blue fuselage, red engine cowlings, and various basketball-themed designs. Fun for passengers extends far beyond just the livery. On this particular flight, passengers were able to sample a basketball-themed menu and receive commemorative memorabilia ranging from aircraft models to NBA luggage tags, photo frames, and more.