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NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal said the first preseason game in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was an important “historical moment” for the sport.
O’Neal – who played for six teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat during his 19-year career – now travels the world as the NBA’s global ambassador.
Hosting the tournament in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, is the league’s latest attempt to expand its brand and global presence.
The Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, are scheduled to play two preseason games Oct. 6-8 against the Atlanta Hawks and their star player Trae Young.
The UK, France, Germany, Japan and China have all hosted the competition before.
“I mean, it’s a historic moment – for the first time ever to play in the Middle East,” O’Neal, 50, told BBC Sport.
“I think what fans get out of this is that basketball is a global sport. It’s not as big as football or football (NFL), but the NBA has players the world is talking about — players like LeBron James, so It’s definitely a good time for fans to watch the players up close,” he added.
The NBA is the latest organization to bring display sporting events to the Middle East, most notably — and most controversially — the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month.
Earlier this year, Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight boxing world title rematch against Oleksandr Usyk took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been a fixture of the F1 calendar since 2009, which also includes the Bahrain Grand Prix.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hosts several major events in the region, and the new LIV Golf Tour, funded by Saudi Arabia, hosts events around the world.
The trend has drawn criticism from some activists for “sports cleansing” — sporting events held to improve a country’s image, normalize regimes or divert attention from questionable human rights records.
Homosexuality is illegal in the UAE – punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
O’Neal acknowledged that there is still a lot of work to do, and the four-time NBA champion believes sports can help “bring everyone together.”
“[It] No matter who you are, where you come from, what you like, what you believe in, the movement is all about peace and I’ve seen it bring people together,” he said.
The NBA season is set to start on October 19, with the defending champion Golden State Warriors facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening game.
O’Neal thinks the title could make it to the San Francisco area for the second year in a row.
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