Dubai Basketball: The Gulf’s First EuroLeague Team

Dubai Basketball has written a new chapter in the region’s sporting history, becoming the first Gulf team to compete in a top-tier European professional league. In just two years since its founding, the club rose from a new project to sharing the court with giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona in the EuroLeague. For an audience that follows both local and global sport, the story of Dubai Basketball is one of the most remarkable rises in recent memory. This article looks at how the club reached the EuroLeague, how its debut season went, and what comes next.

How Dubai Basketball Reached the EuroLeague

Founded in 2023, Dubai Basketball rose at a pace few clubs have matched. Its journey began in the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League during the 2024-25 season, a competition featuring teams from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and the UAE.

In that debut ABA season, the club reached the playoff semi-finals before being halted by European powerhouse Partizan, finishing third overall. That strong showing laid the foundation for the leap that followed. When the EuroLeague announced its expansion from 18 to 20 teams in late May 2025, Dubai Basketball was confirmed as one of the two new sides to secure a coveted spot for the 2025-26 season.

Dubai Basketball Among Europe’s Elite

The move placed Dubai Basketball alongside some of the most celebrated clubs in world basketball. In the EuroLeague, the club shares the court with the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos, and reigning champions Fenerbahçe.

The significance goes beyond the region. The EuroLeague reaches a global television audience of over 300 million viewers annually, and Dubai Basketball’s entry marked a historic expansion of the competition’s global footprint, bringing top-tier European basketball to a new audience and region for the first time. Coached by Jurica Golemac, the club brought elite European basketball to the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai from September to June.

Dubai Basketball’s Debut EuroLeague Season

Dubai Basketball’s first EuroLeague campaign ran across a demanding 38-game regular season, from 30 September 2025 to 17 April 2026. For a club competing at this level for the first time, the challenge was immense: adapting to the travel, the intensity, and the tactical sophistication of Europe’s best.

The season ended with an 11th-place finish, narrowly missing out on a top-10 spot and the Play-In Showdown, the playoffs for teams between seventh and tenth. The final game was a 95-85 defeat by Valencia Basket in round 38, played in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yet the placement told only part of the story: for a debut season against the continent’s elite, an 11th-place finish and a series of memorable performances marked a season of genuine growth.

Why Dubai Basketball Matters

The rise of Dubai Basketball is about more than results on the court. It represents a broader statement of the UAE’s growing role in global sport, and a source of inspiration for young players in the region who now see a pathway to the world stage.

The club is known for an aggressive, fast-paced style built on athleticism and quick transitions, a contrast to the traditional European game that made its matchups compelling. Backed by heavy investment in sporting infrastructure and the support of the Dubai Sports Council, Dubai Basketball is building something the city has never seen before.

What Comes Next for Dubai Basketball

With one EuroLeague season complete, the foundation is set for a defining second campaign. The debut year provided invaluable experience against the best clubs in Europe, and the lessons learned from narrowly missing the Play-In will shape the club’s ambitions going forward.

For a club just two years into its existence, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with European basketball’s elite is a remarkable achievement. The next season offers Dubai Basketball the chance to build on that foundation and push toward the top-10 finish that just eluded them.

Dubai Basketball’s rise runs parallel to a busy period across world basketball, including a dramatic NBA offseason that reshaped the league.

Summary

Dubai Basketball has made history as the first Gulf team to compete in the EuroLeague, rising from its founding in 2023 to Europe’s elite in just two years. A debut season that ended in 11th place, narrowly short of the Play-In, laid a strong foundation and put UAE basketball firmly on the global map. As the club looks to its second EuroLeague campaign, the story of Dubai Basketball stands as one of the most inspiring sporting rises the region has produced.