USA coach is excited to witness the advancement of basketball in the Gulf region
The USA basketball team performing in Abu Dhabi this week has a unique sub-plot in that their famous coach Steve Kerr was actually born in the Middle East.
Five-time NBA championship-winning player and four-time championship-winning coach, Kerr will bring his US National Team to the Etihad Arena for the first time as part of a historical US Basketball Showcase later this week.
Kerr, who won five NBA Championships as point guard with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs and added four more as coach of the Golden State Warriors, brings a unique perspective on the growth of basketball in the Middle East – he was born in Lebanon and attended school in Beirut and Cairo.
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The event sees six top basketball nations will convene in the Abu Dhabi to finalise their preparations for the upcoming FIBA World Cup, scheduled to take place across Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines from August 25 to September 10.
The week-long International Basketball Week will significantly bolster Abu Dhabi’s position as a global sports destination.
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The US Men’s National Team, competing in the region for the first time, will go head-to-head with Germany and Greece on August 18 and 20 respectively. Additionally, Germany and Greece will engage in a separate World Cup warm-up match on August 19. Lebanon, Egypt and Mexico will also face off against each other.
International Basketball Week will get underway on Thursday, August 17, with Lebanon taking on Egypt at the custom-built center court at the Etihad Arena. The US will then meet Greece as part of a double-header on Friday August 18 that also sees Lebanon face Mexico.
August 19 features Germany versus Greece, before 24 hours later to close out the basketball extravaganza the US will face Germany.
Date
17, 18, 19, and 20 August
Location
Etihad Arena
Tickets are available at Etihadarena.ae or Ticketmaster.ae
For more sporting news, visit Yalla Abu Dhabi Life
