Rumors

The biggest news of the recent hours is that Jonas Valanciunas is expected in Athens to undergo medicals ahead of his possible astonishing move to Panathinaikos. Someone who knows the Lithuanian center very well is Sarunas Jasikevicius, who is also present in the Greek capital for the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board Congress. Interviewed by Nova Sports, the reigning EuroLeague champion spoke about the former Toronto Raptors center likely landing in Europe. “He’ll be in Athens in two hours,” he commented while smiling during the afternoon. “He’s not in Athens yet, but ask Jonas about what happened yesterday. For me, Jonas is very special, and he will always be like this; he’s special. We sat together in Abu Dhabi until late,” Jasikevicius continued.

EuroHoops.net

Brian Windhorst: These guys have a ton of money to spend. In their press release from two months ago, they said they plan to, quote, ‘build up sizable stakes in a range of sports assets’ in the years leading up to this investment. So, they announced the $15 billion raise—with $10 billion from Abu Dhabi—to invest in sports assets. And two months later, they buy the Lakers for $10 billion. I’m just pointing that out.”

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Per Eurohoops sources, the NBA clarified beyond any doubt that the NBA Europe project will not include any teams from countries outside Europe with the exception of Israel. This means that Dubai BC, which is expected to join the EuroCup or the EuroLeague next season, is already excluded from the new project, despite the NBA’s existing collaboration in the region with Abu Dhabi, which has brought pre-season games to Etihad Arena.

EuroHoops.net

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.

Sportando

“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.

EuroHoops.net

Middle East governments with massive sovereign funds have invested heavily in basketball over the past several years. The NBA and USA Basketball have an association with Abu Dhabi, which is currently in negotiations to fund a new global academy for the league there, sources said. Recently, Abu Dhabi won the rights to host the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four, the first time the event will be held outside of Europe.

ESPN

Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins will be representing a Philippine squad once again. The 34-year-old big man will don the Philippine colors anew, this time for the Strong Group Athletics (SGA) team that will compete in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship from January 24 to February 2 next year. In a statement, SGA head coach Charles Tiu confirmed that Cousins will be a big boost for the squad. “We worked hard to get DeMarcus. I’ve heard great feedback about him, and I’ve spoken to him a couple of times. He’s serious, means business, and wants to win. We’ve even been discussing personnel matters already,” Tiu said.

philstar.com

Less than one month after favoring Belgrade, the EuroLeague shareholders voted 11-2 to host the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi, a move that may dictate the future of the competition. According to Eurohoops sources, only Olympiacos and Real Madrid opposed this decision, while Abu Dhabi will pay an unprecedented €50M for the right to host the event.

EuroHoops.net

According to EuroLeague sources, “Abu Dhabi represents a first step into a new region. Whether that can lead to other activity in the Middle East remains to be seen. This first experience will provide lots of learnings, which will inform any future discussions”. Considering the event site, “Abu Dhabi has a first-class arena and extensive experience in organizing major events, including NBA games, Formula 1 races, and UFC fights. They are committed to delivering a world-class Final Four event, as they have done with many others”.

EuroHoops.net

Jared Weiss: Brad Stevens spoke about the Porzingis return on the @NBCSBoston Celtics broadcast: "I don’t think we realized it until we really got into camp and then you see him work. When we saw him in Abu Dhabi, the way he was moving and the way he felt, it was pretty obvious he was going to be at the front end of that timeline."

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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.

Bloomberg

Mr. Silver said the Emirati government did not impose any restrictions on the league’s operations in Abu Dhabi, and that if it did the league would not have come. He also disagreed that the N.B.A.’s presence helped hide abuses. “Sports brings disproportionate attention, it seems, to issues positive and negative,” Mr. Silver said. “And I think what comes with this region attracting high-profile sports, no different from the World Cup that took place in Qatar, there’s been enormous amount of discussion around people’s opinions of those markets and the activities there.”

New York Times

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets played an exhibition game against the Boston Celtics in Abu Dhabi, and afterward, the Serbian center reflected on winning Olympic bronze in Paris over the summer. “Last time I played for the national team, we won a championship. Maybe that means something, maybe it doesn’t. Most players say a summer tournament helps you stay in shape. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I had a great time and feel I improved. Whether it affects my current basketball or not, who knows,” the three-time NBA MVP said, reflecting on leading the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA championship after representing Serbia at EuroBasket 2022.

EuroHoops.net

Legion Hoops: Celtics broadcast says that Russell Westbrook became the Lakers’ scapegoat when he played with LeBron LeBron James: Took a trip all the way to Abu Dhabi to be on my.....Eat some breakfast first! Anyways Brodie a LEGEND 🫡

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