Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks headed over to the middle east this week as the NBA continues to go global. After the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards played in two preseason games in Japan last week, the Bucks took on the Atlanta Hawks in Abu Dhabi, with the NBA venturing into the country for the first time.
The Hawks won both games, with Trae Young putting in a spectacular performance in the second one, as he dropped 31 points in the first half. It was a memorable experience for the fans, who got to watch some of the biggest stars in the league in action.
Giannis Antetokounmpo On The Next Two Countries He Would Want To Play In
Giannis had a great experience too, but he left his fans a bit disappointed after opting to not play in the second game. Still, they got to see him in action in the first one and Antetokounmpo is eager to play in more countries in the future. When asked about the next two regions where he would like to play, Giannis mentioned China and India.
Giannis on playing basketball around the globe 🌍 pic.twitter.com/8y67f5Bvlf
— NBA (@NBA) October 6, 2022
“I have played in London, I’ve played in Paris, playing today for the first time in Abu Dhabi, I’ve got to think about this. I have never played in China, maybe Shanghai or Beijing. That would be a fun experience. Maybe somewhere in India to just try to expand the game as much as possible, make it global and reach places that we haven’t reached. I feel like a lot of people around the world love basketball. We just got to present it them and we’re going to create like that more fans.”
China has had ties with the NBA for a very long time at this point, although the relationship did sour after Daryl Morey’s comments a few years back. India has also seen some NBA action, with two preseason games in 2019, and the league is planning for a return to the country at some point, so maybe Giannis will get a chance to play there. Giannis has some connection to India as well, as he was recently learning a Bollywood dance from Indian actor Ranveer Singh.
The NBA has done a much better job at going global than the other major professional sports leagues in the country, and it continues to reap the benefits from it. The league is also heading over to France for a regular season game for the first time this season, as the Chicago Bulls will take on the Detroit Pistons on the 19th of January.
