ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The NBA is returning to the Persian Gulf next season.
New York and Philadelphia will play preseason games on Oct. 2 and 4 in Abu Dhabi, the league announced Thursday. It will be the fourth consecutive year that the NBA — which signed a deal with tourism officials in Abu Dhabi in 2021 — has played preseason games there.
Milwaukee and Atlanta went in 2022, Dallas and Minnesota went in 2023, and Boston and Denver opened the 2024 preseason there. USA Basketball also visited Abu Dhabi for games preceding the 2023 Basketball World Cup in the Philippines and the 2024 Paris Olympics.