Dubai Basketball all set for historic season in Europe

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Dubai Basketball players during a practice round. — Supplied photos

Published: Tue 17 Sep 2024, 6:57 PM

Ahead of their historic participation in Europe this weekend, Dubai Basketball, the newly-established professional franchise, was unveiled on Tuesday with the team setting their eyes on producing impressive performances in their inaugural season.

Game tickets and season passes are now available to watch the team in action at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai with their first game set for Sunday, September 22.

Founded by UAE entrepreneur Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah in 2023, Dubai Basketball are set to become the first team in the UAE to play in Europe’s Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League.

To celebrate their launch, a ceremony took place on Tuesday before the start of their 2024/25 season.

Among those present were, Dejan Kamenjasevic, General Manager and Co-Founder, Dubai Basketball, Jurica Golemac, head coach, club captain, Klemen Prepelic, and Ali Omar Al Blooshi – Director of Sports Events Department at Dubai Sports Council.

Former NBA star, Davis Bertans headlines the team’s strong roster which include players from Philippines, USA, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Jordan, Turkey and Latvia, many of whom have extensive playing careers in Europe and the US.

Kamenjasevic described the story of how the club was established and their goals for the future.

“Dubai is one of the best cities in the world and to have created a brand new basketball team from scratch is a very proud moment,” Kamenjasevic said.

“The fact that we are playing in the ABA League tells you everything you need to know about how ambitious we are as a club. We have guys who have played in leagues in Europe, the NBA and the very top of the sport.

To attract these players is a big achievement for the city and our club. We look forward to welcoming the local communities including expats and locals as their support can inspire the team. Together, as a team, we have a chance to do something big together.”

Golemac, winner of the ABA League Second Division title in 2019 as well as champion of the Slovenian League in 2019, 2021, and 2022, he is looking forward to his debut season in charge.

“As the head coach of Dubai Basketball, I am very much looking forward to the new season ahead later this month. This is a new chapter for the club and having spoken to the management, they outlined ambitious plans for the future which I want to play a part in. We are playing in a fantastic home facility such as Coca-Cola Arena," Golemac said.

“We are under no illusions of the challenge that we will face in the ABA League but we will do all we can to showcase our best abilities regularly throughout the season and raise the UAE flag high.”

Skipper Prepelic, who has won numerous titles and awards, including the Slovenian Basketball Cup, the ABA League Second Division, and the Slovenian League title, said it’s a privilege to be selected to lead the team out and is determined to help them achieve success.

“It is a privilege to be named captain of Dubai Basketball for its first ever season. It’s a big job that brings a lot of responsibility but one I’m looking forward to," he said.

“As professionals, we know there will be no easy games but we have a great team spirit and bond which will be crucial in delivering the wins that we want.

“We will play to our strengths and do everything we can do bring success to Dubai Basketball. Dubai is a great city with fantastic facilities we hope to do our fans and country proud.”

To help prepare for the new ABA League, Dubai Basketball completed a successful training camp in Slovenia where they played four friendlies.

Last week, they won both home friendly games against KK FMP and BC Nizhny Novgorod and competed in a pre-season tournament in Bosnia ahead of their league opener against Serbia’s Red Star on Sunday.

Tickets are now available to witness Dubai Basketball in action. Game tickets start from Dh75 while season passes begin from Dh1,750 which includes reserved seating for all 15 regular season home matches.

Season passes also include meet and greet opportunities with players, priority and venue fast track entry and exclusive pre-sale opportunities for live concerts at Coca-Cola Arena.