On the heels of his team's trip to Abu Dhabi to play two exhibitions against the Hawks, Bucks President Peter Feigin said the NBA's first foray with live games in the United Arab Emirates will do wonders in extending the reach of the sport. "There is an incredible thirst for NBA basketball" in the region, Feigin told SBJ. "This is turning the concept into actuality. Having live events, to me, is really the inflection point in cementing the relationship." While acknowledging that the region may be in the "embryonic" stages of growing its fandom, NBA admirers in Abu Dhabi and beyond have watched and followed the league's games for years. This trip was about fans becoming acclimated with the whole fabric of the sport. The crowds at the games, Feigin said, consisted of large contingents of young fans -- 8 to 24 years old -- with many sporting jerseys not only of the Hawks' and Bucks' players but of other NBA stars in celebration of the sport.
INTERNATIONAL PUSH: Feigin expects the trip to help teams foster relationships for international marketing deals in the future. Teams are now allowed to secure up to 10 international marketing deals. He said Motorola -- the team's jersey patch partner -- also has the team’s international marketing rights. And the trip afforded the Bucks the opportunity to pitch Abu Dhabi tourism stakeholders directly. "At some point with local revenue, you're a little tapped out on what the opportunity is," Feigin said. "You talk about the growth of this league, the growth of the audience and participation, and when you have a global superstar that transcends most of the players in the league, you really want the right to market globally and sell against that in a big way." As for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Feigin said there was 100% familiarity with the Bucks star. "From the royal family down to the youngest fan, people wanted access to Giannis," Feigin said. "We did not have to educate anybody who was close to the game about who Giannis was and what he has done. He has a bigger-than-life presence in Abu Dhabi."
NBA admirers in Abu Dhabi and beyond have watched and followed the league's games for yearsGetty Images
