The NBA will not stage a single preseason game in the Middle East this year, the first time in five years the league has skipped the region, with the ongoing war between the United States and Iran cited as the reason for pulling the plug.
Abu Dhabi had been lined up as the primary host, with Qatar also under consideration as an alternative or co-host venue. According to the report, the league had been in talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards about taking part in exhibition fixtures.
One scenario under discussion would have split the games geographically: two teams would have played one exhibition in Qatar and another in the United Arab Emirates, giving both Gulf states a slice of the NBA's preseason showcase.
It marks a sharp change of pace from last October, when the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers played out two preseason games in Abu Dhabi as part of the league's now well-established autumn swing through the Emirates.
The NBA insists the broader relationship with the region is intact despite the pause. The league reaffirmed its partnership with Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism, an agreement extended as recently as January that covers joint marketing initiatives and the launch of an NBA Global Academy in the Emirati capital.
Qatar's stake in the picture runs deeper than just hosting games: the Qatar Investment Authority holds a minority interest in the Wizards' parent company, giving Doha a commercial as well as sporting incentive to stay in the NBA's Gulf plans long-term.
The Gulf region's basketball ambitions extend well past the NBA's preseason calendar. Qatar is set to host the FIBA Basketball World Cup in August 2027, and FIBA's secretary general has said there are currently no plans to relocate that tournament, though the situation is being monitored and adjustments remain possible if regional security conditions do not improve.
For now, the league is treating the preseason freeze as a pause rather than a permanent withdrawal, saying games in Abu Dhabi and, potentially, Qatar will return once conditions allow. No target date has been set.
