NBA Abu Dhabi Games: Participants, dates, history and more

The international trip has become an indelible part of the NBA preseason. Most years two to four teams are sent overseas to play a series of games, filling out their preseason schedule but also helping grow the game globally — hence the league's Global Games branding.

The setting and a packed arena of fans who may only have one chance a year to see actual NBA action can make the games much more lively and exciting than a normal preseason game. This year will be no exception, with the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets heading to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates for a pair of games.

Thanks to the time zone difference, it's also a chance for fans in the United States to enjoy some rare afternoon basketball.

2024 NBA Abu Dhabi Games

Abu Dhabi may represent a fairly small market for the NBA but the UAE has rolled out the red carpet for the league before and this is the third consecutive season there will be a pair of preseason games there.

Previous NBA preseason games played in Abu Dhabi

Plenty of NBA fans ignore the preseason, especially as it pertains to the other 29 teams they don't follow closely. So it may be surprising for them to learn that the NBA has played preseason games in 15 different countries (and one US territory) in a tradition that goes back four decades.

History of international NBA preseason games

The NBA played its first international preseason game back in 1984, with the Phoenix Suns and New Jersey Nets squaring off in Milan, Italy, They wouldn't try it again until 1991 when the Heat played the Bullets in the Bahamas but since then, the league has scheduled at least one preseason game outside of the continental United States every season except 1997, 1998, 2001, 2011, 2020 and 2021.

Including this year's two matchups between the Celtics and Nuggets, the NBA has hosted 87 international preseason games. (I'm including games in Puerto Rico in this total. Even though it's a territory of the US, they are included in the NBA's Global Games branding).

Which countries or locations have hosted the most NBA preseason games?

The league obviously targets specific countries for this preseason games, looking to grow popularity in extremely large countries (Brazil, India, China), those with proximity to the US (like Mexico) and burgeoning stars from those countries playing in the NBA (Italy, Spain, Germany, France). But the NBA is also strategic about which teams they send to play these games.

Which NBA teams have played the most international preseason games?

If you're wondering why the Rockets, Heat and Warriors are the teams who have played the most international preseason games, marketable personalities like Yao Ming, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are a big part of the picture.

As of this season, the only active NBA franchise that has not played an international NBA preseason game is the Portland Trail Blazers.