ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The United States men’s Olympic team’s first overseas appearance 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 in 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 stayed on a cruise ship docked at the 2016 Rio Games, just as they did in Athens in 2004. Helped by deep-pocketed sponsors and the NBA, the Olympic men since 1992 have never set foot in the athletes’ village, and let them sleep in a.
That’s what they’re used to anyway, because NBA road trips are a mix of jets, Four Seasons (not winter-spring-summer-fall), law enforcement, and luxury SUVs available if needed .
As for Abu Dhabi, while it’s not exactly a hotbed of basketball, it’s a suitable venue for two exhibition games over the next three nights. This is the second time in as many years that USA Basketball is here; The FIBA World Cup team held an exhibition exhibition last August while traveling 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 Abu Dhabi authority is a player with a 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 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 at Ferrari World.
It is also very competitive in attracting all sporting events, especially basketball. As a component of the NBA’s global reach, the United Arab Emirates provides fertile ground. NBA games have been broadcast here since 1987-88 and the push for preseason games on this floor (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 eager to open up to the world, and one solution is to invite a global game.
The American team was received before each practice by a dignitary, who thanked them and gave them a few words of recognition. The first day was Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, president of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which was logical.
“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’ matches against Australia and Serbia. Mid-July, when temperatures are low and scary, is precisely the peak tourist season, so the city’s population is increasing at the moment.
That said, it’s Team USA. 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 let LeBron throw Jayson Tatum every single one. every day.
There you have it.
And while Americans are eager to get to know the UAE, this 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 Kia’s three-time NBA MVP 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 get better every time we step on the court. “
Kerr will use those plays to create chemistry, favorable matchups and for strategic planning, so he will once shuffle lineups.
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 be able 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 A-list star of entertainment is the newest edition of the greatest basketball team of all time.
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, archive him here, and follow up with him on X.
The views expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its clubs, or Warner Bros. Discovery.