Nuggets headed overseas for premier preseason contest
Mar 6, 2024, 12:38 PM
In what could be an NBA Finals preview the Denver Nuggets are hosting the Boston Celtics on Thursday. It’s a matchup we’re now guaranteed to get later this year, even if it’s not in the postseason as the NBA announced the two champion franchises will meet for exhibitions in Abu Dhabi.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2024 will take place on Friday, Oct. 4, and Sunday, Oct. 6 in the Middle East. The NBA says that the Abu Dhabi Games will air live in the United Arab Emirates, across the Middle East and around the world, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media.
This is the second major project the NBA has collaborated with the UAE on recently. The league became a giant partner with Emirates about a month ago. The airline is now on referee uniforms, the title sponsor of NBA Cup and the official airline of the league.
“The Denver Nuggets organization couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to visit and play NBA games in Abu Dhabi this coming preseason,” Nuggets owner Josh Kroenke said in a statement. “We look forward to this unique experience and being able to help expand the global reach of our great league.”
For the Nuggets the games will come just about two months after the Olympics end which could see a deep run from Nikola Jokic’s Serbia, Jamal Muray’s Canada, Vlatko Cancar’s Slovenia or if Aaron Gordon is picked to Team USA. It may not be as fun as if the Nuggets were to play a game in Belgrade, it’s the closest Jokic will be playing an NBA game to his home country since a 2017 game in London against the Pacers.
“We’re excited to bring two of the best teams in the NBA to Abu Dhabi in the Celtics and the Nuggets,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said in a news release. “There is incredible momentum around basketball in the UAE and across the Middle East, and we believe these games as well as our year-round grassroots development and fan engagement efforts will be a catalyst for the continued growth of the game in the region.”
