Opinion | The N.B.A. Is Choosing Hoops Over Human Rights in Abu Dhabi
In a bygone era, N.B.A.teams enforced an unofficial quota on Black players, apparently fearing that a “too Black” team might alienate its white audience.
Today, this same league is celebrated as one of the world’s most progressive sports organizations.Indeed, N.B.A.and W.N.B.A.
players have consistently demonstrated over the years that athletes can be drivers of change, helping to create a more just and equal society.The N.B.A., after struggling with racism and injustice, is now a leading advocate of diversity and positions social justice as a core mission.
The league has aligned itself with movements like Black Lives Matter, proclaimed the value of freedom of expression and established initiatives such as the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award, honoring players who make significant strides in the fight for social justice.However, the N.B.A.’s commitment to these values starkly contrasts with its recent partnership with Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates that constitute the United Arab Emirates — a nation accused of human rights violations.On Oct.
4 and 6, the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets will play preseason games in Abu Dhabi as part of a broad multiyear deal between the N.B.A.and the emirate dating to 2022, when the first preseason dates there took place.
This raises a critical question: Can the N.B.A.maintain its standing as a beacon of its professed ideals while being a partner with such a regime?Over the past few decades, the N.B.A.
has expanded globally, promoting basketball and its brand while cultivating new markets around the world.And while its partnerships with repressive regimes are not limited to the United Arab Emirates — its ties with countries including China and Rwanda have also warranted scrutiny — the upcoming Abu Dhabi games underscore the persistent conflict between the league’s professed values and its engagement with an authoritarian regime.The United Arab Emirates’ suppression of free speech ...