By Tanua Ganguli
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Jaylen Brown, the star player for the Boston Celtics, took the microphone, poised to entertain an audience 6,600 miles away from his home.
“As-salaam alaikum, Abu Dhabi!” he exclaimed enthusiastically, sharing a customary greeting in the area.
The audience responded with applause. Brown, who hails from Georgia, introduced himself and expressed his gratitude in Arabic, prompting further cheers.
“I’ve been practicing my Arabic,” he noted afterward.
Friday marked a jubilant kickoff for the NBA’s third annual visit to Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates’ capital, for preseason matches. This season, the league brought its last two championship-winning teams, the Celtics and the Denver Nuggets, along with their championship trophy and several former NBA players, including the iconic Kevin Garnett from the Celtics.
Abu Dhabi has emerged as the NBA’s focal point in the Middle East. The players toured cultural landmarks, league staff and team officials held discussions with business stakeholders, and the league highlighted its initiatives with children, particularly girls, in the area. Abu Dhabi showcased its modernization efforts, lavish resorts, low crime levels, and commitment to religious diversity — a principle prominently communicated at its cultural institutions.
However, underlying the festivities was the complex ethical terrain companies navigate when engaging with nations like the Emirates, governed by an autocracy that imposes restrictions on freedom of expression, speech, and the press, and which arms factions linked to war crimes in an ongoing civil war in Sudan. Criticism of the government can lead to severe legal repercussions, and reports indicate that workers often endure unsafe or inhumane working conditions, according to human rights organizations and the State Department.
As the NBA extends its global reach, it faces scrutiny over which governments it aligns with. Human rights advocates have denounced its associations in China, Rwanda, and the UAE, arguing that these connections allow oppressive regimes to divert attention from their malfeasance. This criticism applies broadly to various sports and entertainment entities — from the World Cup and Formula One to Netflix and pop stars — increasingly engaging with the region in recent years.
“They’ve done an amazing job of making the UAE and Emirates recognizable in the sports world,” noted Ben Freeman from the Quincy Institute, an American think tank dedicated to foreign policy. “When people think of the UAE, they want you to consider tennis. They would love for you to associate it with the NBA.”
Describing the initiative as a form of “rebranding” — sometimes referred to as “sportswashing” — Freeman remarked that the UAE prefers to attract attention to sports rather than the less favorable aspects of its global image.
Commissioner Adam Silver stated that the NBA sought guidance from the State Department before entering a new market and that the agency had supported its activities in the UAE, a key U.S. ally.
“We believe we can set an example here,” Silver remarked. “Our American values accompany us globally, and ultimately, our ongoing engagement is beneficial for these communities — we believe that withdrawing or pulling back would not serve these markets well.”
U.S. ambassador to the UAE, Martina Strong, attended the game on Friday night. When questioned about her support for the NBA’s operations in the UAE despite human rights concerns, Strong provided a written response. She did not address the criticisms and expressed her office’s “pride” in the NBA’s collaboration in Abu Dhabi.
“We applaud the NBA’s efforts to promote universal values — teamwork, sportsmanship, collaboration, and diversity — that transcend borders and cultures,” Strong stated. She added that the league’s initiatives to enhance “access to basketball and foster greater female engagement reflect the broader objectives of the United States in bolstering inclusivity and creating opportunities for all.”
While women in the UAE still face certain legal and economic inequalities, according to the State Department and human rights organizations, significant legal reforms for women have been implemented in recent years. Although there are laws against same-sex relationships, enforcement is typically lax, per reports from the State Department.
Silver noted that the league considered the engagement of the wider business community within the nation. Institutions like New York University and Microsoft have established a presence in Abu Dhabi, while Warner Bros. has inaugurated a theme park there. Additionally, the Guggenheim Foundation is slated to launch a museum. The league opted for Abu Dhabi despite interest from other cities, including Dubai, also within the UAE, and Doha, Qatar.
The UAE’s collaboration with the NBA reflects a broader strategy to enhance its influence in the U.S., as Freeman observed.
“They have influenced every conceivable avenue available,” he noted. “They have assembled a top-tier team of lobbyists and public relations firms advocating for them.”
The Emirati Embassy in Washington did not provide a response to a request for comment. Various public relations agencies were engaged during the NBA’s time in Abu Dhabi to boost event publicity and tourism.
Human rights advocates question whether sports can effectuate sufficient change in oppressive nations to justify their involvement.
Human Rights Watch indicated on its website that it reached out to the NBA on Sept. 30, urging the league to address the human rights situation in the Emirates.
Silver asserted that the Emirati government had not placed any restrictions on the NBA’s activities in Abu Dhabi, stating that had such limitations existed, the league would not have proceeded with its plans. He also disagreed with the notion that the NBA’s presence concealed abuses.
“Sports seem to attract significant attention to both positive and negative issues,” Silver remarked. “I believe high-profile sporting events in this region, akin to the recent World Cup in Qatar, stimulate extensive discourse about public perceptions of these markets and their activities.”
The Middle East represents a significant market for the NBA for various reasons. Regional governments have sought to diversify their economies away from oil and gas, committing billions of dollars toward sports teams, leagues, and major sporting events. The region’s wealth can also be advantageous for the league. In addition to sponsorship deals from Emirati organizations, sovereign wealth funds can acquire minority stakes in NBA franchises.
Similar to other markets, the NBA promotes basketball participation to cultivate a fan base. The league reports a 60% increase in basketball participation in the Emirates and a 54% rise in the broader Middle East since it began hosting games there in 2022.
Both the Celtics and the Nuggets were eager to participate in the Abu Dhabi trip, according to Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner.
“We’re a globally recognized brand, just like the Celtics,” remarked Rich Gotham, the team’s president. “This region represents a rapidly expanding fan base outside the U.S.”
The Celtics initiated a sponsorship agreement with Experience Abu Dhabi, an extension of the Department of Culture and Tourism, in March linked to discussions about playing in Abu Dhabi. As part of this collaboration, they opened a basketball court in Abu Dhabi during their visit. The center court displays a Celtics logo, with the remainder of the floor featuring designs crafted by local blanket weavers.
“From a business perspective, the brand recognition you can achieve by coming here is remarkable,” stated Josh Kroenke, vice chair of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Nuggets. “On a team level, it’s beneficial as it exposes our players to a region they may not have visited before.”
Kroenke mentioned he had never traveled to the Middle East before, despite some business ties to the area. He was enthusiastic about the excursion and now looks forward to returning. He also co-chairs the Arsenal soccer club in the English Premier League, which has partnerships with Emirates, a Dubai government-owned airline. Additionally, the airline sponsors the NBA’s tournament within the season.
Kroenke declined to comment regarding worries about sportswashing.
Gotham stated that the Celtics prefer to concentrate on the positive influence they can make.
“We don’t view it through a political lens,” he explained. “We assess what positive contributions we can provide.”
He highlighted a basketball clinic with 130 girls, which included a panel featuring Celtics executive Allison Feaster. Gotham also spoke at a sports industry conference where, as he observed, roughly half the attendees were women.
The league’s data indicates that its presence has enhanced female participation in basketball. Having operated a Jr. NBA initiative for three years in the region, the first year saw two boys’ teams for every girls’ team. This year, the numbers reached 60 teams for each gender.
The program schedules practices to accommodate prayer times. The girls’ sessions take place in entirely female environments, allowing players in hijabs to remove them if they wish. Fifteen-year-old Shamma Al Jasmi plays while wearing a hijab. She admires Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry for his confidence and shooting skills.
Al Jasmi has participated in the program for several years and credited basketball for keeping her engaged in her studies as it provides an outlet for any energy or frustration she may experience.
“Basketball occupies a special place in my heart,” she declared. “It holds a unique significance for me.”
