Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Dubai Basketball’s season has taken an unexpected detour, far away from the familiar surroundings of the UAE, yet the club’s response to the disruption has highlighted a sense of unity that goes beyond the court.
With tensions in the widening US–Israel conflict with Iran affecting air travel in the regional airspace, the EuroLeague governing body confirmed that several teams would temporarily move their home fixtures to neutral venues. Among them, Dubai Basketball will stage its next two “home” games in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decision came as part of a broader measure announced by EuroLeague, which is monitoring the situation affecting clubs from the region. The UAE side will now host Spanish outfit Saski Baskonia on March 12 and Serbian giants Crvena Zvezda on March 15 at Sarajevo’s Zetra Arena.
Before settling in Bosnia, Dubai Basketball travelled to Slovenia, where they will face KK Cedevita Olimpija at Arena Stozice in the ABA League Top 8. The team sits at the summit of the standings in the second-tier European league alongside KK Partizan with 16 wins and just one defeat.
Despite the logistical complications, club officials remain optimistic about the sporting challenge ahead, especially in the elite EuroLeague, where they are in 11th position and need to be inside the top 10 to make the post-season with nine games yet to be played in the regular season.
“Right now we are just outside the Top 10, but we are very close, only one win away,” said club chief executive Dejan Kamenjasevic when asked about the impact of the upheaval on the team’s campaign.
“We believe we can make it, it depends on us. If we keep playing like we have in the last month, we believe we can be among the top 10 teams in the competition. Of course we would prefer to play in Dubai, but in Sarajevo we will try to create a great atmosphere so our players can feel at home.”
While the players adjusted to life on the road, the club also found itself playing host to fellow professionals caught up in the same uncertainty. As flight cancellations and temporary airspace closures left several athletes stranded in the UAE, Dubai Basketball opened its training facilities so they could remain match-ready.
Players from a number of European clubs – including stars from Maccabi Tel Aviv BC, KK Partizan, LDLC ASVEL and Anadolu Efes SK – spent several days training at the team’s facilities while waiting for travel arrangements to be made. Among those welcomed were guards Iffe Lundberg and Lonnie Walker IV, as well as several other EuroLeague players who were temporarily unable to leave the region.
Working with the athletes’ respective clubs, Dubai Basketball also helped coordinate their return to Europe. Many eventually departed together on a flight from Abu Dhabi, some travelling with their families after days of uncertainty.
The gesture earned quiet appreciation across the European basketball network, with several clubs reaching out to thank the UAE organisation for its assistance.
For Dubai Basketball, the support was simply an extension of the sport’s shared culture.
In a season already defined by its rapid rise into the top echelons of European competition, the club’s actions off the court have offered a reminder that the basketball community often proves strongest during difficult moments.
Now, with their home court temporarily relocated to Sarajevo, Dubai Basketball’s focus turns back to the game itself – determined that even thousands of kilometres away from the UAE, their campaign can continue with the same ambition and spirit that has defined their season so far.
