DUBAI: Professional players of newly-established Dubai Basketball franchise, founded by UAE’s Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah, will play in Europe’s Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League for the 2024/25 season.

The club’s first competitive match kicks off against Serbian Red Star on the weekend of 22nd September at 14,000 basketball capacity Coca-Cola Arena.

The ABA League serves as a qualifying tournament for the EuroLeague, considered the second most important basketball league globally after the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America.

A strong roster of 12 players hailing from eight countries including the Philippines, Trkiye, USA, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Jordan have been assembled for this historic season with many looking forward to playing in front of their home fans at Coca-Cola Arena.

Thirdy Ravena of the Philippines, said, ‘To sign for this club means a lot to me. I always love a new challenge and it’s nice to be part of a team that has brought together accomplished players –
some of whom have been my idols. To represent Dubai and the Philippines in a European league also means a lot to me, and hopefully we can do our best for the city.’

One of his new team-mates is Leon Radosevic, a former Bayern Munich player and a former U-19 world bronze medalist. The 34-year-old Croatian has promised to do all he can for Dubai Basketball in what he said was an easy decision to join.

Also part of the squad is Klemen Prepelic, a 2017 European champion with the Slovenian National Team and a former Real Madrid player. The 31-year-old said, ‘It’s a privilege to be part of this first team, and we are all looking forward to doing something special.”

For Aleksa Uskokovic, the 25-year-old Serbian Point Guard said he is excited to be part of this new chapter for Dubai Basketball. He said, ‘It’s going to be fun but also hard as we’re a new team. The city is very nice, so we have everything that we need to train at our best.”

Source: Emirates News Agency