The National Basketball Association (NBA) is exploring bringing games to the UAE and the Middle East, as part of a wider push to grow the league outside of the US.
However, one major roadblock to hosting pre-season and regular league games in the region is the current standard of dedicated basketball venues.
“It would be great to bring an NBA game to the region in the near future. It’s one of the regions where we haven’t had a game, and we are actively looking at opportunities to do so,” said Benjamin Morel, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, EMEA for the NBA.
“We do need some arenas that meet the NBA standards, but there are a lot of ongoing projects in that respect, and we are carefully monitoring the situation,” said Morel.
Presently, the NBA hosts pre-season and league games in the UK, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Manilla, Japan and China.
Benjamin Morel, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, EMEA for the NBA
Bringing games to the region is just one aspect of a greater global push for the league.
“Our objective is to grow the game around the world, as we currently have 113 players out of 450 in the league that come from outside of America,” said Morel.
“The Middle East is a region where we see great potential. The NBA has become quite popular, in terms of people watching the games and on social media. Basketball is a sport that resonates quite well here.”
The NBA is looking at grassroots and CSR initiatives to promote the game and an active lifestyle. But it also wants its retail outlets to have a larger presence in the region. The first NBA store – which sells a variety of licensed merchandise from each of the 30 teams – in the region is due to open its doors in Doha, while another is planned at an unnamed location in the UAE early next year.
NBA.com – the league’s news and entertainment portal – will also be fully Arabic enabled by the end of this season in the autumn.