Dubai Basketball has set out a unique aim of bringing the whole of the UAE under the structure of basketball equipment.
In anticipation of their momentous participation in Europe this weekend, Dubai Basketball, the new professional franchise, was presented on Tuesday as the team looks to live up to its expectations on its maiden season in the league.
Match tickets and season tickets for the selling of the matches are on sale to equipment to watch the team operate from the ports of the Coca-Cola Arena ground in Dubai which has its first combat on Sunday 22nd September.
Dubai Basketball is set to play in Europe’s Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League becoming the first team in UAE history to do so, and this achievement can be credited to UAE entrepreneur Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah who launched the team in 2023.
A ceremony was held on Tuesday prior to the beginning of the season 2024/25 aimed at appraising the events.
Among those present were, General Manager and Co-founder Dejan Kamenjasevic, Dubai Basketball, Head coach Jurica Golemac, Club’s captain Klemen Prepelic and, Sports Events Department Director of the Dubai Sports Council Ali Omar Al Blooshi.
Former Basketball player ‘Dubai is one of the best cities in the world and it makes me so proud to have been able to create a new basketball team from nothing’, Kamenjasevic said.
‘The fact that we are playing in the ABA League tells you everything you need to know about how ambitious we are as a club. We have guys who have competed in European basketball leagues, NBA and the highest levels of the sport.
To bring these players is a great success for the city and our club. It is a pleasure to say that we are also looking forward to our local communities which includes expats and locals as their endeavors can energize the squad. It is my belief that as a unit we have is a very big opportunity to achieve something enormous as one collective. ‘
Golemac, who was the winner of ABA League Second Division title in 2019 and also bagged the champion trophy of Slovenian League in 2019, 2021, and 2022, he says that he is really looking forward to the first season in which he will be the head coach.
“As a head coach in basketball club Dubai, I must say that I am eagerly waiting hell-for-leather for the new season here this month.”We are closing in on a new phase for the club and after talking to the management, they have some ambitious plans for the future which I wish to conceive. Golemac said, ”We are playing in a fantastic home facility such as Coca-Cola Arena”.
“We don’t sell ourselves how hard it will be in the ABA League but we will do every single thing possible from our end that will help us perform better and more often not to embarrass the UAE flag.”
Skipper Prepelic was there clutching many trophies and playing in many standout events like the Slovenian Basketball Cup or the ABA League Second Division Slovenian league title, the leader spoke that it is an honor to be named and come on the court first and promised to the team that it will do everything in its power to help win all of them.
“It is an honour to be appointed captain of Dubai Basketball first season of the franchise in its inception. Yes it’s a lot of work and with such a burden which every leader has, I am very impatient and that is good,” he said.
“Being professionals, we all know there will not be any walkovers but we have a wonderful unity and that will be helpful in bringing home the required wins.
“We know our personnel and we will play to our strengths. Success is what we want to bring to Dubai Basketball. The facilities in Dubai are great and the city is great. We will earn the respect of our fans and our country.”
In order to get ready for the newly formed ABA League, Dubai Basketball traveled to Slovenia for a training camp, where they managed to play four friendly games.
Last week, they hosted KK FMP and BC Nizhny Novgorod and won both matches as well as traveled to Bosnia for a pre-season tournament in preparation for their league opener on Sunday against Red Star of Serbia.
Fans and basketball enthusiasts will now be able to purchase tickets for the games containing players of Dubai Basketball. Game tickets can be purchased from Dh75 during promotions and season tickets commence at Dh1,750 which nullifies the standing and queuing need as one is assigned seats on all 15 home game in the regular season.
There are also many benefits included in season passes including meeting with players, priority and fast track entry, as well as live concert tickets for purchase before the event.
The players of Davis Bertans are surrounded by a solid cast comprising of national players from the Philippines, USA, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Jordan, Turkey and Latvia, and many have played in both Europe and the US Metropolitan Basketball Leagues.
Some things, Kamenjasevic said, as he told a bit of the history of the creation of the club and its objectives for the development of the club Mary.