NBA Abu Dhabi Games participants, dates, history, & more

It may not feel like it, but Denver Nuggets basketball is right around the corner. The offseason is creeping towards a conclusion, many of the players are already training in Denver, and training camp and preseason will be underway in mere days.

For the Nuggets, the action will begin even sooner than it will for other teams as they are slated for a trip to the United Arab Emirates to take part in the NBA Abu Dhabi Games. The Nuggets have played international games in the past, but this will be the team’s first appearance in Abu Dhabi as they’ll kick off the preseason in style.

What are the NBA Abu Dhabi Games?

These are a series of preseason games that take place to kick off the season each year in the UAE. They are the first preseason games played each year and two teams make the trip, then play each other twice before heading back to America. They are part of the NBA’s Global Games, a series of games played internationally to grow the sport of basketball and the popularity of the league.

Who is playing in the NBA Abu Dhabi Games?

This year, the two teams partaking are the Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. Although these are preseason games, it should be a pretty fun matchup as we’ll see the last two champions in action for a pair of matchups; it’s also a potential 2025 NBA Finals preview.

When and where are the 2025 Abu Dhabi Games?

This year the games will take place on Friday, October 4th at 10 AM MT and Sunday, October 6th at 8 AM MT. The games will be played at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Celtics will be considered the “home” team for the first game and the Nuggets will be “hosting” the second game.

NBA Abu Dhabi Games history

The Global Games have been around since 1984 for the preseason and 1990 for regular season games. But the games first came to Abu Dhabi in 2022. This is the third annual version and they’ve all been preseason matchups tipping in early October.

The first participants were the Hawks and Bucks who played a pair of games in October of 2022 and then in 2023 the Mavericks and Timberwolves made the trip. This will be the Nuggets’ first game overseas since they played the Pacers in a regular season game in London in 2017.