Dubai Basketball
| Dubai Basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| League | ABA League EuroLeague | ||
| Founded | 2023 | ||
| History | Dubai Basketball 2023–present | ||
| Arena | Coca-Cola Arena[1] | ||
| Capacity | 17,000 | ||
| Location | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||
| General manager | Dejan Kamenjašević | ||
| Team manager | Nenad Banjanin | ||
| Head coach | Jurica Golemac | ||
| Team captain | Klemen Prepelič | ||
| Affiliation(s) | Falcons Academy | ||
| Website | dubaibasketball.com | ||
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Dubai Basketball is a professional basketball club based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The team competes in the ABA League and the EuroLeague. The club plays its home games at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.[2][3]
History
Dubai Basketball was founded by Abdulla Saeed Juma Al Naboodah and Dejan Kamenjašević in 2023 as the first home franchise team based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[4][5]
In January 2024, the ABA League confirmed Dubai Basketball's inclusion for a three-season term starting in the 2024–25 season.[6][7]
On 19 March 2024, the ABA League officially announced BC Dubai would join the league for the next three seasons, starting from 2024.[8][9] Jurica Golemac was signed as the team's first head coach,[10] while Nate Mason was the first officially signed player for the team.[11] Dāvis Bertāns also became the first former NBA player to defect from that league to play for Dubai instead.[12] Later in the summer, Dubai BC announced that the 17,000 seater Coca-Cola Arena would serve as the team's home arena.[13]
In their first ABA game, on September 22, 2024, Dubai defeated Red Star Belgrade at home.[14] and Partizan, Zadar and Cedevita Olimpija amongst others in the 24/25 season, securing a place in the play offs scheduled for May 2025[15]
The club’s entry into the ABA League was part of an initiative to develop basketball in the region.[16][17]
The team will complete in the European top-tier basketball league, EuroLeague for the following 2025–26 season when the team got a five–year license to participate until 2029–30 season
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Dubai Basketball roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: September 2, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Depth chart
| Pos. | Starting 5 | Bench 1 | Bench 2 | Bench 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Mam Jaiteh | Mfiondu Kabengele | Kenan Kamenjaš | Bora Yasar |
| PF | Dāvis Bertāns | Nemanja Dangubić | ||
| SF | Džanan Musa | Justin Anderson | Awudu Abass | |
| SG | Aleksa Avramović | Klemen Prepelič | Danilo Anđušić | |
| PG | McKinley Wright IV | Nate Mason | Kosta Kondić |
Squad changes for/during 2025–26 season
Out
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Moving to | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | PG | Aleksa Uskoković | Free agent | ||
| 22 | PF | JaCorey Williams | Free agent | ||
| 44 | C | Ahmet Düverioğlu | Free agent | ||
| 11 | PG | Isaiah Taylor | Free agent | ||
| 29 | C | Jerry Boutsiele | Free agent | ||
| 43 | C | Leon Radošević | Free agent | ||
References
- ^ "Dubai prvi put javno o ABA ligi" [Dubai for the first time publicly about the ABA League]. mozzartsport.com (in Serbian). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ^ Report, Gulf News (29 April 2025). "Dubai Basketball crush Igokea to stay in title hunt". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema.
- ^ Report, MSN (29 April 2024). "Dubai Basketball eye playoffs after win". MSN.
- ^ "Dubai lays up for making UAE basketball history". Aletihad Newspaper. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ "Dubai wants to form a team to win the Euroleague". KOS magazin. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Motiejunas evaluates Dubai's EuroLeague entry for next season, Serbian clubs future". basketnews.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Passela, Amith. "Dubai Basketball make perfect start with memorable win in ABA League". The National.
- ^ "Conclusions of the ABA League j.t.d. Assembly session in Zagreb : ABA League". ABA Liga. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Dubai and ABA League's financial details revealed". basketnews.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "Jurica Golemac becomes the head coach of the newly-formed Dubai". eurohoops.net. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ "Dubai make their first summer signing as they ink a 2-year contract with Nate Mason : ABA League". ABA Liga. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ Adams, Luke (10 September 2024). "Davis Bertans Signs With Dubai BC". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "BC Dubai announce Coca-Cola Arena as official home venue". basketnews.com. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Dubai bring Zvezda down, record first win in club's history". basketnews.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
- ^ "Dubai Basketball ABA league Playoffs". msn.com. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Dubai Basketball end historic first season with knockout in Belgrade". Arab News. 3 June 2025.
- ^ Passela, Amith. "Dubai Basketball mean business in ABA play-offs: 'We are full of confidence, full of ambition'". The National.