Sport360 spoke with Joe Dumars, the NBA’s Govt Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations, to speak in regards to the significance of those video games, the NBA’s rising presence within the UAE, and the way forward for basketball within the area.
Q. What excites you in regards to the NBA’s rising presence within the UAE?
Any time you go into a brand new space to advertise the NBA, you’re all the time to see the way it goes and what sort of reception you get. The reception we’ve gotten from the UAE, from Abu Dhabi, has been unbelievable. I actually look ahead to the thrill across the video games. The followers for the primary two years of the video games have been distinctive. It’s only a nice ambiance, seeing so many youngsters sporting NBA jerseys. It’s simply been a terrific expertise for the NBA.
Q. This yr’s Video games characteristic the 2023 champions versus the 2024 champions. How does that elevate the showcase?
I can’t recall, in all of the years of the World Video games, having the 2 prior champions taking part in. It could have occurred, I’m not saying it hasn’t occurred, however even for myself, it’s actually thrilling to have the 2 earlier champions taking part in. Clearly, these are two of the elite groups within the NBA and to have them opening up the (pre) season, taking part in in Abu Dhabi, couldn’t be higher for them and for the followers there. For the followers within the UAE, you couldn’t ask for something higher. You place the earlier two champions with the kind of crowds that you’ve in Abi Dhabi – I simply assume it’s going to be a particular week as a result of it’s not simply the 2 video games, it’s the total week of a celebration of NBA basketball.
Q. What sort of challenges did you face bringing the NBA to the UAE as in comparison with different worldwide markets?
There was by no means a problem, it was simply going to be attention-grabbing for the NBA to see the way it goes. Since we’ve began coming to Abu Dhabi, there hasn’t actually been any challenges. The gamers like it. I’ve talked to all of the groups who’ve come earlier than – Atlanta, Milwaukee, Dallas, Minnesota – each participant has beloved it. The blokes get there they usually go searching they usually begin experiencing Abu Dhabi they usually simply completely like it. As soon as we realised how unbelievable it was, you received’t have any complaints from anybody.
Q. What are the NBA’s future plans within the area for the following five-10 years?
I feel, simply to proceed to develop the sport. We need to attain as many individuals as potential, particularly youngsters. We need to contact them and encourage them and expose them to this nice recreation, to those superb gamers. It’s to proceed to extend the presence, make certain individuals really feel like they’ve entry to the NBA, proceed to play these video games the place individuals can come out and see these unbelievable gamers in individual, present the entry to individuals on league move and completely different platforms to allow them to truly see the video games and observe the video games.
Q. The 2024 Abu Dhabi Video games may even see the Common Season MVP in Nikola Jokic face the Finals MVP in Jaylen Brown. What do you make of that matchup?
That’s a terrific level in regards to the Common Season MVP and the Finals MVP. Additionally, let’s add the Olympians on the groups as properly, the NBA champions, All-Stars, future Corridor of Famers. The resume of the fellows, present gamers and even among the former gamers who’re going to be coming over as ambassadors to the sport… That’s why I’m enthusiastic about this. You’ve gotten Jokic, you have got Jaylen Brown however you have got Olympians like Jamal Murray and all the fellows from the USA Workforce from Boston. I feel it’s unbelievable. That’s what persons are going to see in Abu Dhabi.
Q. Why is a battle between the 2 prior champions so particular as a contest?
When you have got two champions on the courtroom, I look ahead to that as a result of the mentality of a champion is completely different and these are the final two. So I simply look ahead to seeing these two play one another. I noticed them play throughout this previous season. Denver went to Boston and I went to the sport in Boston and it was an unbelievable recreation. I feel it was a two-point recreation proper to the very finish and I simply bear in mind watching them play and I am going – neither one in every of these groups need to give an inch. So I simply look ahead to the 2 earlier champions taking part in collectively in two video games like this.
Q. What can we count on from the NBA by way of creating the sport within the UAE within the coming years?
We’re attempting to succeed in as many girls and boys as potential to introduce the sport to them, whether or not it’s the NBA Basketball Faculty, the WNBA, Jr. NBA, Jr. WNBA all of those applications are to succeed in as many youngsters as potential. We predict that basketball is one thing that brings individuals collectively. We predict it helps younger individuals develop. So that you’ll proceed to see us put money into these areas, the place we will attain as many youngsters as potential by as many applications as potential.
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The NBA Abu Dhabi Video games 2024 promise to be a spectacular showcase of elite basketball expertise and world sports activities tradition. With two elite groups, world-class athletes, and a number of thrilling occasions, basketball followers within the UAE are in for a deal with.
Don’t miss out on what is bound to be an unforgettable week in Abu Dhabi.
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