Timberwolves set to play Mavericks in Abu Dhabi
H.E. Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi; and NBA Managing Director, Europe and the Middle East, Ralph Rivera (Courtesy: National Basketball Association)
The Minnesota Timberwolves are now scheduled to play two games against the Dallas Mavericks in Abu Dhabi this year.
On Tuesday morning, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Department of Culture and Tourism for Abu Dhabi announced the teams would go head-to-head in two preseason games on Oct. 5 and 7.
The games will be played at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
Tickets for the 2023 Abu Dhabi Games will be available for purchase at a later date. Sign up to receive ticket information by visiting the NBA’s website.
The games will air live around the Middle East and North Africa on beIN SPORTS, The Sports Channel, and NBA League Pass, reaching fans in over 200 countries and territories on television, digital media, and social media, according to the NBA.
Ralph Rivera, the NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director, said in a statement “Following the success of last year’s games and events that welcomed fans from across the globe to Abu Dhabi, we’re excited to return in the 2023 preseason with two great matchups between the Mavericks and Timberwolves and some of the best players in the world. Our collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi continues to support the NBA’s goal of introducing basketball and its values to young boys and girls in the UAE and globally, and that will be the case once again through these games and the surrounding activities.
Last year, the Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks were to first in the league to play games in the Arabian Gulf.