By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
While there is no plan for a EuroLeague expansion in the next season due to the situation in Israel, Dubai is still willing to be part of the European basketball landscape and the Adriatic League seems to be the door, from which they can enter.
The talks are already confirmed and the news, first reported by Mozzart Sport, about the inclusion of a Dubai team in the junior ABA League tournament, is proof of that.
Dubai will be presented for the first time on the court between 21-23 of November, against Crvena Zvezda, Borac, and Derby and it has to be noted that there are already several basketball academies in the Arab country.
While Dubai is often pinpointed as an entity with no tradition in the sport by those who see the possibility of expanding there as far-fetched, this is a key first step.
Dubai has the resources and above everything all the interest to invest in the sport, like it happened already in the rest of the region with Qatar getting the next FIBA World Cup and Abu Dhabi having already a strong commercial relationship with the NBA.
It remains to be seen if and when Europe will decide that this is an opportunity that can’t be overlooked due to the untapped potential of a new market that can bring new standards to the EuroLeague.