Dubai Club Owner: Our Goal Is Not to Finish 15th in EuroLeague

Dubai basketball club owner Abdulla Saeed Juma Al Naboodah described the club's long-term goals on the Euro Insiders podcast. Founded two years ago, the club is playing its second EuroLeague season this year. Although it narrowly missed the Play In tournament last season, it had won the Adriatic League title.

Al Naboodah stressed that the club is focused on stability rather than league position. In his view, the first goal was to take part in the Adriatic League and the second was to play in the EuroLeague. The third goal is to become a permanent member of European basketball. In the executive's words, the club was not founded to finish 15th in the EuroLeague, but to become a stable and sustainable franchise.

Al Naboodah said the slogan "Every great city deserves a great club" also reflects this approach. Arguing that the path to being part of European sport runs through basketball, the executive said the same investment would not have succeeded in a football club. In his view, basketball's reach and the opportunities it offers make it far more suitable for this kind of project.