The Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) and the Division of Tradition and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) immediately introduced an extension of their present collaboration that can characteristic preseason NBA World Video games, expanded advertising actions, and the launch of an NBA World Academy within the UAE capital.
The long-term extension can even convey further youth improvement and fan programming to Abu Dhabi and surrounding communities for years to return.
NBA World Academy, which might be primarily based in Abu Dhabi and function the worldwide hub for the league’s NBA Academy program, might be a year-round elite basketball improvement and educational program for high high-school-age student-athletes from the UAE, the Center East and all over the world.
The academy will embrace elite improvement programming for as much as 20 native boys, basketball improvement actions for native ladies and residential programming for as much as 24 male prospects from the remainder of the world.
“Extending our partnership with the NBA additional strengthens Abu Dhabi’s place as the brand new dwelling of basketball within the Center East and reinforces our dedication to our youth, inspiring our neighborhood, diversifying the economic system, and elevating the emirate’s standing as a world vacation spot,” mentioned HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi.
“The institution of the NBA World Academy in Abu Dhabi will open pathways for Emirati and UAE-based athletes, coaches and sports activities professionals to study from the world’s greatest, whereas our long-term internet hosting of the NBA World Video games will encourage the subsequent era.
Past bringing world-class sporting occasions to our capital, the NBA’s youth packages and grassroots initiatives encourage wholesome, energetic existence and join our residents to the common values of sport.
This multiyear dedication displays Abu Dhabi’s ambition to be a hub for tradition, leisure and excellence, for each our residents and guests alike.”
“Our collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in rising basketball participation and fandom within the UAE and throughout the Center East,” mentioned NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Working Officer Mark Tatum.
“We stay up for constructing on these efforts within the years to return, together with via the launch of an NBA World Academy that can assist develop elite-level gamers from the area and all over the world.”
Further particulars about future NBA preseason video games in Abu Dhabi, together with the schedule and taking part groups, might be introduced at a later date.
The collaboration will see DCT Abu Dhabi, via its vacation spot model Expertise Abu Dhabi, as soon as once more function the Official Tourism Vacation spot Associate of the NBA within the Center East, China and Europe whereas increasing the territories within the vacation spot partnership to additionally embrace Africa, Asia Canada and Latin America.
The prolonged collaboration between DCT Abu Dhabi and the NBA can even characteristic the growth of youth improvement programming that has reached greater than 20,000 girls and boys since 2022, together with plans to increase from the 4 present Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA leagues in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Area to 6 leagues this fall and 12 leagues by 2028.
Abu Dhabi can even host two annual basketball tournaments that includes high youth and elite gamers from all over the world, beginning with the 2025 NBA Academy Showcase in Abu Dhabi, which was held on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus from Sept. 25-27 and featured high high-school-age gamers from 4 elite basketball packages: NBA Academy Africa (Senegal), IMG Academy (U.S.), INSEP (France) and the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence.
The NBA Academy program supplies a holistic strategy to participant improvement and a predictable pathway to maximise their potential.
This system emphasizes well being and wellness, character improvement, and life abilities and offers athletes the chance to study the sport from coaches with skilled, collegiate and worldwide expertise.
Greater than 150 NBA Academy student-athletes have represented their nationwide groups at varied ranges, greater than 100 have dedicated to or gone on to attend NCAA Division I colleges within the U.S., and greater than 40 have performed, are taking part in, or have signed to play professionally, together with 15 who’ve superior to the NBA.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Video games 2025 offered by ADQ featured two sold-out preseason video games between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 at Etihad Enviornment on Yas Island.
The video games have been a part of a multiyear collaboration between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that options preseason NBA World Video games, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi League, a wide range of interactive fan occasions that includes appearances by present and former NBA gamers, an NBA 2K League exhibition occasion and a sequence of Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and NBA Cares clinics selling well being and wellness whereas instructing the basics of the game and instilling core values together with teamwork, respect and sportsmanship.
