International Basketball Week in Abu Dhabi to see debut of 2 American college teams

ABU DHABI: As part of International Basketball Week in Abu Dhabi, the Kansas State Wildcats are set to play against Mexico today, while the Arizona Wildcats face off against Lebanon on Aug. 19, with both contests held at Yas Island’s Etihad Arena.

The games, announced by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, will see American college teams playing in the Gulf for the first time.

Fans who have already purchased tickets to watch Lebanon versus Egypt on Thursday evening and Germany versus Greece on Aug. 19, will also be able to watch the US teams in action.

Additionally, the Arizona Wildcats and the Kansas State Wildcats will each play a UAE All-Star team on Aug. 17 and 18 at Repton School and New York University Abu Dhabi, respectively.

International Basketball Week will see several of the world’s top men’s national teams taking part in exhibition matches in Abu Dhabi before heading to the FIBA World Cup 2023.

As part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s plans to grow the game in the Middle East, the Etihad Arena hosted NBA games for the first time in 2022, featuring two official pre-season games between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks.

The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023, presented by ADQ, is set to return on Oct. 5 and 7, featuring a pair of games between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.