The newly-formed Dubai Basketball team, set to compete in Europe this season, has expressed their excitement about making history and pledged to make their city and country proud as they kick off their inaugural campaign this month. Founded by UAE’s Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah, the club is scheduled to participate in the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League for the 2024/25 season. Their debut game will be against Serbian team Red Star on September 22 at the 14,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena. The ABA League acts as a qualifier for the EuroLeague, the world's second most prestigious basketball league after the NBA in North America.
The team boasts a diverse roster of 12 players from eight different countries including the Philippines, USA, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Jordan, and Turkey. Many players are eager to showcase their skills in front of their home crowd at the Coca-Cola Arena. Thirdy Ravena from the Philippines commented, “Joining this club is significant for me. I thrive on new challenges and it’s inspiring to be part of a team that has united accomplished players, some of whom I’ve admired.” He added, “Representing Dubai and the Philippines in a European league is a great honor and we aim to perform our best for the city.”
Despite joining the team just days before, the 27-year-old Ravena is impressed by the club’s rapid progress and ambitious goals. “It’s incredible how they’ve managed to organize everything so quickly. It reflects their determination and the strong desire to create the best opportunities for the team to succeed,” he noted. Leon Radosevic, a former Bayern Munich player and U-19 world bronze medalist, also joined the team and is eager to contribute. “Being part of this major project in Dubai, a beautiful city, is fantastic,” said the 34-year-old Croatian. “I immediately expressed interest when I heard about the team’s formation and here I am, very impressed by the club’s ambition. We aim to bring joy to everyone in Dubai and the UAE, a fantastic place to play basketball.”
Klemen Prepelic, a 2017 European champion with Slovenia and a former Real Madrid player, is excited about the team’s potential. “It’s an honor to be part of this inaugural team and we’re all eager to achieve something remarkable. After discussing with the head coach and learning about the club’s ambitions, I quickly agreed to join,” Prepelic shared. “We are a talented group of players. It’s exciting to be part of Dubai’s venture into a European league and their goal to eventually play in the EuroLeague.”
Aleksa Uskokovic, a 25-year-old Serbian point guard, is thrilled about the new chapter for Dubai Basketball. “It will be challenging yet enjoyable as we are a new team. The city offers everything we need for top-level training,” he said. “The facilities are world-class and the city is amazing. Our goal is to secure a playoff spot and build from there.”
