NBA announces Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets to play two preseason games in UAE

The NBA has announced that the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets will play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi later this year.

The development was announced by the NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum who stated that it is ‘incredible’ to become a part of the project to spread basketball in different regions.

"We're excited to bring two of the best teams in the NBA to Abu Dhabi in the Celtics and the Nuggets," said Tatum in a news release. "There is incredible momentum around basketball in the UAE and across the Middle East, and we believe these games as well as our year-round grassroots development and fan engagement efforts will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the game in the region.”

The move to host two of the best NBA teams to play matches in Abu Dhabi, which is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is a part of the Middle Eastern countries' larger objective of becoming a sports hub in the near future.

In the recent past, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in football and signed some of the biggest names from European football to start their own Saudi Pro League. They also invested heavily in golf before that which led to the merger of the PGA Tour and Liv Golf.

Before Saudi’s investment, Qatar hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022. UAE has hosted different competitions of various sports, such as the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup in 2021, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in Formula 1 and recently the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship.

The Celtics are currently placed at the top of the Eastern Conference with 48 wins and 13 defeats. On the other hand, the Nuggets are placed in the third position in the Western Conference with 42 wins and 20 defeats.