ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U. S. men’s Olympic team’s first appearance abroad begins in a position where basketball is as scarce as vegetation.
There is sand and skyscrapers everywhere, as well as a summer sun, all with amazing perspectives of the Arabian Gulf. It’s basically the place where expats come on vacation, as they say around here, or to live part-time, a getaway. excavated in the Arabian Peninsula, where remoteness is part of the attraction.
What’s in it for the American team? Well, let’s just say that hoops, for the most part, have made a business decision. And since that is the case, why not here, a dynamic position in the world where business is booming?
They arrived this weekend aboard a plane and are staying at a five-star hotel on Saadiyat Island, where life is served on a sterling silver platter.
– NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2024
Yes, ever since the Dream Team broke new ground on a global scale, this team has been the envy of every Olympic athlete when it comes to comfort and accommodations.
They remained on a moored cruise ship at the 2016 Rio Games, just like Athens in 2004. Aided by deep-pocketed sponsors and the NBA, Olympic men since 1992 have never set their sights on the athletes’ village, let alone asleep in one
Anyway, that’s what they’re used to, because NBA road trips are a mix of jets, Four Seasons (not winter-spring-summer-fall), security forces, and luxury SUVs available if needed.
As for Abu Dhabi, while it’s not exactly a hotbed of basketball, it’s a fitting venue for two exhibition games over the next three nights. It’s the second time in as many years that USA Basketball is here; The FIBA Basketball World Cup team put on an exhibition display last August on their way to the Philippines for the tournament.
And for Anthony Edwards, it’s the third time he’s come here in about a year. He’s on that World Cup team, he’s on that Olympic team (“first choice,” as he insists) and his Minnesota Timberwolves played two exhibition games last October against the Mavericks.
The authority on all things Abu Dhabi is a player with popular charm and an original way of putting things into perspective. And how did Ant first poetically announce the existing environment to his fellow Americans?
“It’s great,” he says.
Of course.
While Dubai offers the Burj Khalifa and Birkin bags about an hour’s drive away, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, dominates in its own right, with its beaches, Grand Mosque and world-class museums. This is where you can see Batman at the Warner Bros. theme park. and then drive cars faster than the Batmobile in Ferrari World.
It is also very competitive when it comes to attracting all sporting events, especially basketball. As a component of the NBA’s global reach, the UAE provides fertile ground. NBA games have been broadcast here since 1987-88, and the momentum for preseason games on this ground (or arena) has accelerated in recent years thanks to a multi-year collaboration with the league. The Celtics and Nuggets will meet here twice in October.
It is a mutual relationship between the city and basketball. The NBA needs to expand its presence as much as possible, creating more preference for the game and revenue streams. Meanwhile, the UAE is keen to open up to the world, and one solution is to invite a global game.
The American team greeted before each practice through a dignitary, who pronounced a thank you and a few words of thanks. On the first day it was Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, who made a lot of sense.
“We’ve all been warmly welcomed here and it’s been wonderful for us, last year and now,” coach Steve Kerr said.
– USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 12, 2024
It will be curious to see the reception at the Etihad Arena for the United States’ games against Australia and Serbia. In mid-July, when temperatures are meager and frightening, precisely the peak of the tourist season, the city’s population swells at the moment.
That said, it’s Team USA. U. S. It’s LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, etc. , etc. It is an exclusive possibility to see them and others in a team. For all its charms, attractions, and beaches, Abu Dhabi can’t allow LeBron to throw Jayson Tatum each. every day.
That’s how it is.
And even if Americans are interested in trying out the UAE, it counts as a kind of business trip. Australia has several current and former NBA players, while Serbia will be a medal contender in Paris with three-time NBA MVP Kia. Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Jokic, of course, will be the first check for Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis, the big three of the American team. He knocked out Davis in the Western Conference Finals in 2023, then beat Adebayo for the championship and won the title. biggest from Embiid in the recent MVP chases.
“We don’t have a lot of time to prepare,” LeBron said, “so we have to be better every time we step on the field. “
Kerr will use those games to create chemistry, favorable matchups and strategic planning, so he will improve the lineups again.
And Edwards, the U. S. team’s most sensible scorer at the World Cup, will have a chance to convince Kerr to promote him in the rotation.
“It’s very different to the World Cup,” he said, “but I’m lucky enough to play alongside greats, so it’s been fantastic. “
Abu Dhabi hosted a comedy week last spring and retained Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker as headliners. Sting and Guns N’ Roses played to a sold-out crowd last year. The “Hamilton” excursion recently made a stop.
And now, the main poster of the entertainment A-list is the most recent edition of the largest basketball team ever formed.
Local media necessarily ask players what they think of Abu Dhabi. Since the region has hosted USA Basketball for two years now, what does it mean to love?
“A corner of the world,” LeBron said.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can email him here, his file here, and follow along with him in X.
The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its clubs, or Warner Bros. Discovery.