While football is very largely sovereign there, particularly at the moment with the arrivals in spades of several big names on the circuit, including Benzema and Neymar, and other disciplines are already well established there (UFC, Formula 1, tennis or golf), now basketball has decided to settle in Abu Dhabi. After the friendly matches between the Hawks and the Bucks in 2022, it was downright Team USA who packed their bags for a mini-internship with two friendly matches to come against Greece, then Germany. In a few weeks, it will be the Mavericks of Luka Doncic and the Wolves of Rudy Gobert who will confirm this establishment of the orange ball in the United Arab Emirates.
” It’s our mission to make basketball the most popular sports community in the world “, assures Andreas Zagklis, the general secretary of FIBA. ” And we won’t be able to do that if we don’t bring our signature event closer to our fans and the people who can’t wait to see the best players in the world and become die-hard basketball fans. »
With the United Arab Emirates, the complex subject of human rights
But the reality of things is a little more complex, and the hosting of sporting events in certain areas of the world obviously causes more surprise than in other areas. For the United Arab Emirates, in the same way as Qatar last winter during the Football World Cup (where the next Basketball World Cup will also be played in 2027), or even China before, this is obviously the question of human rights which is back on the table. But like FIBA, the NBA brushes off the idea of a debate, focusing on expanding it.
” I would start by saying that the overall mission of the NBA is to inspire and connect people, everywhere, through basketball. », justified on this Mark Tatum, Adam Silver’s right-hand man. ” Basketball is played and watched in all parts of the world, so there are no limits to people who want to consume the NBA. »
On the other hand, there are limits to the involvement of players and staff, the main players in these sporting events, and some recognize that their position is not easy.
” It’s interesting, and I must say not always easy for an athlete or a coach to get involved in questions about international affairs and human rights. We, as American citizens representing the United States national team, of course support human rights all over the globe. We try to be ambassadors of goodwill “, assures Steve Kerr, particularly sensitive to his subjects since his father was assassinated in 1984 on the campus of the American University of Beirut, of which he was the president. ” But we are also aware of the reality of things, which is that all over the world, people do not live well, are not treated well. So there is a kind of combination, between this understanding of these situations and the respect that we have for these situations. But there’s also the idea that we’re trying to help people around the world. »
For the NBA, Abu Dhabi is a market to conquer, as was China before the hiccup caused by Daryl Morey’s tweet. With hindsight, this same Steve Kerr had regretted not having supported… Morey. But for the league, it’s about thinking of the fans first before their political leaders.
” We realize that the world is complex, and that our league faces serious issues, just like any other company that operates internationally. concludes Mark Tatum. ” Our mission is to connect people through basketball. But that does not mean that we agree with everything that happens in the 200 countries in which our fans follow our championship. But we will always lead by example with our values, and our priority will remain connecting and inspiring people, wherever they live in the world. »
Photo credit: NBA.com
