By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
For the first time in NBA’s history, last season’s Eastern Conference Finals pair, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks will be headed to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games later in 2022.
The Hawks will face the Bucks at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on October 6 and 8, according to the NBA and the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 will be the league’s debut appearance in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf.
“The NBA continues to do an amazing job of growing the game internationally, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said in a statement, as adapted by The Atlanta Journal.
“As we look toward the future of the Hawks brand, being recognized as a premier NBA franchise globally is something we aspire to, and we believe the experience for our players and staff to take in the culture in Abu Dhabi will be both incredibly memorable and impactful.”
For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, the NBA has scheduled several games outside North America in 2022. Besides the two games in Abu Dhabi, on September 30 and October 2, the Golden State Warriors will face the Washington Wizards in Saitama, Japan, home of the 2006 FIBA World Championship.