Abu Dhabi: The National Basketball Association (NBA) named four-time champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal as the official NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 Ambassador.
O'Neal will attend The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022, participate in youth development programming and interact with local fans during the week of the games.
Meanwhile, the NBA and Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) also announced that tickets for The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 will go on general sale Thursday, June 30.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks playing two preseason games at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 8 marking the league’s first games in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Arabian Gulf.
Social media
The NBA will also become the first North American sports league to launch social media channels in Arabic on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, providing comprehensive in-language news and content for fans in the region and around the world beginning June 30.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 are part of a ground-breaking multiyear partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that earlier this year saw the launch of the first Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, a youth basketball league for 450 boys and girls ages 11-14 from local schools across Abu Dhabi.
The partnership also includes a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, a series of NBA FIT clinics promoting health and wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event at Middle East Film & Comic Con.
