The NBA Mavericks have come to Europe to continue their preseason journey. In the end, Real Madrid FC won the Spanish Basketball League by defeating the Mavericks 127-123 at the Visinc Center in Madrid.
In this game, Dallas Mavericks star Luca Doncic played for 5 minutes, scoring 9 points and providing 1 assist. For Dong Qiqi, Real Madrid Club is the starting point of his basketball career.
Dong Qiqi signed with Real Madrid at the age of 13 and won the UEFA Champions League with the team in 2018, becoming the youngest UEFA Champions League quarterfinals MVP in history.
Before heading to Europe, the Mavericks also played two preseason matches against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
It is reported that the NBA team's move to the United Arab Emirates to host games is part of the league's long-standing partnership with the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Culture and Tourism (DCT).
In the preseason of the 2022-2023 season, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks played their first preseason match at Etihad Arena on Abu Dhabias Island.
In addition, preseason matches including the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Oklahoma Thunder, etc. will also be held in Hawaii, Canada, and other places thereafter.
In the 2023-2024 season, the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, and Cleveland Cavaliers will also hold regular season games in Mexico City and Paris, respectively.
As an important step in the internationalization of the NBA, NBA games are gradually spreading around the world, and the league is also exploring commercial cooperation opportunities from them.
During the Abu Dhabi preseason, according to the Associated Press, NBA Vice President Mark Tatum stated that funds from Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and other sources may be interested in purchasing minority stakes in NBA teams.
In fact, since the NBA opened up sovereign wealth investment this year, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has acquired approximately 5% of the shares in Monument Sports&Entertainment, the parent company of the Washington Wizards, in June of this year.
In addition, in early October this year, brewer AB InBev reached a partnership with the NBA, and its brand Michelob Ultra will sponsor the new season of the NBA's Mexico City tournament.
To accelerate the internationalization process, the NBA launched the International Team Marketing Program (ITMP) in 2020, gradually allowing teams to accept sponsorship from 10 overseas brands.
At the league level, the same goes for the NBA. On October 10th of this year, the NBA announced a long-term partnership with French wine brand Hennessy, covering multiple fields such as the NBA, WNBA, and NBA G League.
From a total revenue of over 10 billion US dollars to an average market value of nearly 3 billion US dollars for 30 teams, the NBA's commercial value has grown significantly in recent years, and its ability to attract funds is continuously expanding.
