Life away from home: Dubai Basketball’s Justin Anderson on adapting to Bosnia relocation

Dubai: For Justin Anderson and his Dubai Basketball teammates, the past few weeks have been an unfamiliar period both on and off the court, as the team continue to operate away from their usual home at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

Conflict across the Middle East has affected everyone throughout the region in different ways, but for Dubai Basketball, the loss of home-court advantage has been particularly difficult, with the team forced to stage their ABA and EuroLeague home fixtures in Bosnia.

It’s been at the Coca-Cola Arena where Dubai have produced some of their best performances with the support of their home fans, turning the court into a genuine fortress.

Anderson, forward for Dubai Basketball, admitted it’s been “quite the adjustment,” as the squad have been forced to adapt to life, travel, and competition far from the city they represent.

“The experience has been quite the adjustment, we were incredibly successful at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, so it hasn’t been easy at all,” said the American.

“We’ve beaten some of the biggest teams in the EuroLeague on that court, including the likes of Real Madrid and Olympiacos, and done an excellent job of turning it into a real fortress.

“Away from the game, being able to sleep in your own bed after travelling is something I know everyone misses, but as a whole I think we’ve all done a great job of adjusting to Bosnia the best we can.”

Whilst Dubai have been without the backing of their home fans, their participation in Bosnia, typically based at Sarajevo’s Zetra Arena, has helped introduce the team to a new and growing section of supporters in the city, gradually building a local following.

Despite this, Anderson has admitted that the shift in location and the absence of a true home-court advantage have clearly had an impact on performances, with the lack of familiar surroundings and consistent crowd support influencing several results over the course of the campaign.

He said: “We’re really thankful for Bosnia and the hospitality that we have had here, but it’s been quite difficult to stomach some of the games that we have lost since playing in the country.

“There have been games out here which we have lost that I’m really confident we would have won if we were playing in Dubai.”

Adding to what has already been a disruptive few weeks, Anderson and his teammates have been forced to face another major setback following the recent announcement that head coach Jurica Golemac has parted ways with the franchise.

Coming at such a pivotal stage of the season, the timing of the departure only heightens uncertainty within the group as they push for a play-off spot in the EuroLeague.

“It came as a shock to be honest,” Anderson said when asked about the departure of Golemac.

“We had a really tight group here at Dubai and for a piece of that to break isn’t a nice feeling, but it’s about looking forward now. The club have been great with us, they have been really clear what’s going on and we’ve hired a new coach so we are all looking forward to working with him.”

Dubai have enjoyed a standout season to date, winning 20 of their 23 ABA League games to firmly establish themselves as one of the competition’s dominant forces heading into the play-offs, where they sit top of the standings.

Whilst their ABA form is impressive it’s is their performances in the EuroLeague that have truly captured the attention of basketball fans, with the club competing in the elite competition for the very first time. Going up against some of the best players and teams in the world, Dubai have more than held their own, delivering a series of eye-catching displays that underline both their quality and ambition on the European stage.

“We’ve certainly had our fair share of success in the EuroLeague, said the 32-year-old.

“In just one year we’ve done a great job of understanding the EuroLeague is about, you might go and lose to teams you expect to beat but it’s about bouncing back from that, and this is something we’ve done exceptionally well and results like Real Madrid one proves this.”

Dubai currently sit 11th in the EuroLeague table with just one game remaining, knowing victory over Valencia on Friday night is essential if they are to keep their play-off hopes alive.

Even then, their fate is not entirely in their own hands, with the side also relying on Bayern Munich to overcome Barcelona to open the door into the top 10 where they need to finish to make the play-offs.

After everything the team has had to contend with this season, Anderson reflected on what it would mean to secure a playoff place in their debut EuroLeague campaign, highlighting the achievement as a significant milestone and a testament to the resilience and character shown by the group throughout a challenging season.

“To reach the EuroLeague play-offs would be massive for the organisation,” Anderson admitted.

“This has been our first season in the league and to even get ourselves in the position to make the play-offs is an achievement especially with everything we’ve had to deal with.

“If we can take that step into the play-offs, it will go down as one of the defining achievements in the club’s history.”