As NBA plays in Abu Dhabi, critics call ‘sportswashing’

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown grabbed the microphone and was ready to wow audiences 6,600 miles from home.

“As-salaam alaikum, Abu Dhabi!” he said energetically, offering a collective greeting in the region.

The crowd cheered. Brown, who grew up in Georgia, introduced himself and thanked the crowd in Arabic, prompting further cheers.

“I worked on my Arabic,” he said later.

It was a celebratory start Friday to the NBA’s third annual trip to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for preseason games. This time the league sent its last two champions, the Celtics and Denver Nuggets, along with the championship trophy and several former NBA players, including Celtics star Kevin Garnett.

Abu Dhabi has become the center of the NBA in the Middle East. Players visited cultural sites, league and team staff met with business partners and the league showcased the work it has done with children, particularly girls, in the region. Abu Dhabi, in turn, showcased its modernization, luxury resorts, low crime rates and commitment to religious tolerance – a message prominently displayed at its cultural sites.

However, obscuring the edge of what was happening was the unclear ethical space that companies enter when they do business in countries like the Emirates, which are governed as an autocracy with restrictions on freedom of speech, expression and the press, and supply weapons to the militants accused of atrocities in a devastating civil war in Sudan. According to human rights groups and the State Department, criticism of the government or its leaders is illegal and can result in lengthy prison sentences. In addition, workers are often exposed to inhumane or life-threatening conditions.

As the NBA expands globally, the league faces questions about which governments it chooses as partners. Human rights observers have condemned the country’s ties with China, Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates, saying they help repressive regimes distract from their bad deeds. It is a criticism of many sports and entertainment attractions – from the World Cup and Formula 1 to Netflix and pop stars – which have increasingly done business in the region in recent years.

“They have done this incredible job making the UAE and Emirates synonymous with sport,” Ben Freeman of the Quincy Institute, an American think tank focused on foreign policy, said of the country’s leaders. “When you think of the UAE, you immediately think of tennis. They would love for you to think about the NBA.”

Freeman called the effort a form of “rebranding” – it’s sometimes called “sportswashing” – and said the UAE would “much rather think about that than all the bad things that are also part of its reputation.”

Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, said the league consulted the State Department before heading to a new country and that the agency supports its presence in the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally.

“We believe we can lead by example here,” Silver said. “Our American values ​​travel with us around the world when we are there. And ultimately it’s a decision that the commitment, and we see this firsthand, is positive for these communities and we don’t believe we would benefit these markets by divesting or withdrawing from it.”

U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Martina Strong was in attendance at Friday night’s game. When asked why she supported the NBA’s involvement in the United Arab Emirates despite concerns from human rights groups, Strong responded in writing. She did not address human rights issues and said her office was “proud” of the NBA’s partnership in Abu Dhabi.

“We applaud the NBA’s commitment to promoting universal values ​​– teamwork, sportsmanship, partnership and diversity – that transcend borders and cultures,” Strong said. She added that the league’s work to “expand access to basketball and promote greater participation among women reflects the United States’ broader mission to support inclusivity and create opportunity for all.”

Although women still face some legal and economic discrimination, according to the State Department and human rights groups, the UAE has made significant reforms to women’s legislation in recent years. There are laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, but these are not typically enforced, the State Department said.

Silver said the league has studied how the broader business community interacts with the country. New York University and Microsoft both have a presence in Abu Dhabi. Warner Bros. has a theme park here. The Guggenheim Foundation plans to open a museum. The league chose Abu Dhabi over interest from other cities, including Dubai, also in the United Arab Emirates, and Doha, Qatar.

The UAE’s collaboration with the NBA fits a broader pattern of seeking influence in the United States, Freeman said.

“They have affected every possible vector there is,” he said. “They have like an all-star team of lobbyists and PR firms working for them.”

The Emirati embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. During the NBA’s stay in Abu Dhabi, several PR firms were hired to promote the event and tourism in Abu Dhabi.

Human rights groups are skeptical that sport will create enough change in repressive countries to make its presence a positive impact.

Human Rights Watch said on its website that it sent a letter to the NBA on September 30 calling on the league to take action to address human rights issues in the Emirates.

Silver said the Emirati government had not placed any restrictions on the league’s activities in Abu Dhabi and if it had done so, the league would not have come. He also disagreed that the NBA’s presence helped hide abuses.

“Sports appears to draw disproportionate attention to positive and negative issues,” Silver said. “And I think that this region attracts high-profile sports, not unlike the World Cup that was held in Qatar, there was a huge discussion about people’s views on those markets and the activities there.”

The Middle East is a valuable market for the NBA for several reasons. As governments in the region have sought to diversify their economies away from oil and gas, they have spent billions of dollars on sports teams and leagues as well as major sporting events. And the region’s wealth can be a boon for the league. In addition to sponsorship from Emirati companies, sovereign wealth funds are allowed to purchase small stakes in NBA teams.

As in other markets, the NBA encourages participation in basketball to build a fan base. Basketball participation is said to have increased by 60% in the Emirates and 54% in the Middle East since 2022, when the league began playing games here.

Both the Celtics and Nuggets wanted to take part in the trip to Abu Dhabi, said Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner.

“We are a global brand, the Celtics, just like the NBA,” said Rich Gotham, the team’s president. “This is a region with an exponentially growing fan base outside of the United States.”

The Celtics inked a sponsorship deal with Experience Abu Dhabi, an extension of the Department of Culture and Tourism, in March, in line with discussions about playing in Abu Dhabi. As part of this partnership, they opened a basketball court in Abu Dhabi during their trip. A Celtics logo covers center court and the rest of the floor is decorated with motifs from local blanket weavers.

“From a business perspective, the brand recognition you can build here is incredible,” said Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Nuggets. “And on a team level, I think it’s great because it gets our guys out of Denver and puts them in a region of the world that some of them may have never been to before.”

Kroenke said he had never been to the Middle East before, although he had some business ties to the region. He really wanted to be part of the trip and now says he can’t wait to come back. He is co-chairman of English Premier League football club Arsenal, which has sponsorship with Emirates, a Dubai government airline. The airline also sponsors the NBA’s regular season tournament.

Kroenke declined to comment when asked about the sportswear concerns.

Gotham said the Celtics would rather focus on the positive impact they could make.

“We don’t look at it politically,” he said. “We look at it and ask ourselves, ‘What’s a good contribution we can make?'”

He mentioned a basketball clinic attended by 130 girls and a panel that included a Celtics executive, Allison Feaster. Gotham also spoke at a sports industry conference where he estimated half of the sports managers were women.

The league’s numbers suggest its presence has increased girls’ participation in basketball. It has operated a Jr. NBA program in the area for three years. In the first year there were twice as many boys’ teams as girls’ teams. This year there were 60 each.

The exercises in the program are planned to take prayer times into account. The girls’ programs take place in female-only environments, so players who wear hijabs can remove them if they wish. Shamma Al Jasmi, 15, plays with a hijab. Her favorite player is Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, whose confidence and shooting ability she admires.

Al Jasmi has been participating in the program for several years and credits basketball with helping her stay afloat in school because it allowed her to release any energy or anger she may have been feeling.

“Basketball has a different part of my heart,” she said. “It’s just really special to me.”