Few in Europe could make sense of the idea behind Klemen Prepelič’s move to Dubai. A decorated Slovenian cager who played for some of the biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Prepelič raised eyebrows in Europe when he joined Dubai Basketball — the UAE’s first professional team — in 2024.
“I was one of the first players in this club. I believed in the project at a time when 99 per cent of people (in Europe) didn’t believe,” Prepelič told the Khaleej Times.
Now, less than two years later, Prepelič’s move has paid off. Having finished their first season in the ABA League with a playoff spot last year, Dubai Basketball came close to a top 10 berth on their EuroLeague debut this season while securing the first position in the ABA League Top 8 stage.
With solid displays in back-to-back ABA League seasons and a memorable EuroLeague debut campaign, Dubai Basketball have now grabbed the attention of a proud continent.
“Now, those 99 per cent who didn’t believe in it want to be here in Dubai. So, it’s incredible how things can turn around in such a short period of time,” said Prepelič.
Co-founders Abdulla Al Nabooda, an Emirati businessman, and Dejan Kamenjašević, a veteran in the basketball industry, always knew what they wanted to achieve after launching the club.
They dreamed of expanding Dubai’s sporting ambition through the first professional basketball club.
When the new team started to look at the European market for players, Prepelič was one of the first names that they wanted to bring in.
New experience
For Prepelič, a former European champion with Slovenia, choosing Dubai was a no-brainer.
“I have been all around Europe for more than a decade. I’ve played in France, Spain, Turkey, and Germany, but mostly in Spain, which is by far the best domestic league in Europe. I was part of one of the biggest clubs in the world, Real Madrid. I had the best experience in Europe as a player. But I chose Dubai because I wanted to experience something new—I wanted to build something new together with the people here,” he said.
“I asked about the mentality of the people here in the UAE, and I was told they want to be the best in whatever they do. I liked that. And when the season started, I saw the winning mentality of the team’s management, which is a true reflection of Dubai as a city. I loved that, and I’m so glad that I’ve become part of this basketball movement.”
Now, as the captain of the team, Prepelič says many of his former teammates in Europe have begun to show a great interest in Dubai Basketball.
“I have friends or ex-teammates in almost every team. So every time they come to Dubai, they are super excited,” he said.
“Dubai is, of course, a global city and everybody knows what it offers—but they are encouraged by this Dubai Basketball project. They are very excited to see what is going to happen in the near future because we are already part of the biggest league in Europe.”
The magic of Dubai
The Slovenian shooting guard hopes to be back on the home turf soon, the Coca-Cola Arena.
Since the start of the Middle East conflict, the team have been playing their home matches in Sarajevo.
Devoid of the magic of the Coca-Cola Arena, where they lost just one match this season, the team longs for a return to their favourite venue, where thousands of home fans turn up in every game to cheer them on.
The incredible atmosphere at Coca-Cola Arena is also a testament to Dubai Basketball’s success in building a fan culture, as people from different cultural backgrounds have come together to support the new team of their adopted home.
Buoyed by the amazing support of the home fans, Dubai Basketball recorded memorable wins over European giants Olympiacos, Real Madrid and Barcelona at Coca-Cola Arena
“We all know what Dubai is—it’s a global city that offers so many things. And this city now has a sports franchise that has been embraced by the people,” the 33-year-old said.
“I think it’s a pretty big deal for Dubai Basketball to build this identity. The support from people of so many different nationalities means a lot to us. We love the city of Dubai. We love playing for the city of Dubai. We love playing for the United Arab Emirates. Every single member of the team wants to come back and play in front of the fans in Dubai.”
While Dubai Basketball, which finished 11th in the EuroLeague, missed a play-in spot by a whisker, their hopes of winning the first silverware are still alive.
Ahead of their best-of-three quarterfinal series against Spartak Office Shoes, Prepelič said victory in the ABA League would be among the greatest achievements of his career.
“The biggest highlight of my career is winning the European Championship with the national team. I believe it will be very difficult to beat that,” he said.
“But if we win the ABA League, I would rank that second. As the captain of this team, bringing this trophy after such a difficult season under the circumstances (Middle East conflict) would be huge. It would make me very, very proud.”
Source: Khaleej Times