NBA risks taking part in UAE sportswashing with new partnerships: report

The NBA has travel nether disapproval again implicit its planetary partnerships aft a study from Human Rights Watch accused the league of perchance taking portion successful "sportswashing" due to the fact that of its budding narration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  

The report published Tuesday focused connected the league’s 2 preseason games held successful Abu Dhabi successful October and this year’s in-season tournament, renamed the Emirates NBA Cup pursuing the league’s multiyear planetary selling concern with the hose announced successful February. 

A presumption from the opening ceremonial during the preseason crippled betwixt the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics successful Abu Dhabi connected Oct. 6, 2024. (Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The study accused the UAE of utilizing its caller level arsenic a "part of the Emirati government’s efforts to distract from the many human rights violations it is committing astatine location and abroad," adding that the league risks contributing to those efforts implicit its nonaccomplishment to talk retired connected those violations.

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"The  NBA should beryllium alert that the UAE hosts precocious illustration sporting, entertainment, and taste events to beforehand a nationalist representation of openness and tolerance astatine likelihood with the government’s rampant systemic quality rights violations," the study read.

"The NBA has a work nether the United Nations Guiding Principles connected Business and Human Rights to respect quality rights passim each its operations. This includes adopting circumstantial policies and conducting owed diligence to place risks of contributing to quality rights harms, including burnishing the representation of quality rights-abusing states." 

The Emirates NBA Cup crippled betwixt the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons astatine Scotiabank Arena connected Nov. 15, 2024, successful Toronto, Canada. (Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)

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The NBA didn't instantly respond to a petition for remark from Fox News Digital.

For the 3rd consecutive season, the NBA held 2 preseason games featuring the reigning champion Boston Celtics and the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets successful Abu Dhabi successful aboriginal October. This was a portion of the 2021 multiyear concern signed with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

In February, the league besides announced Emirates arsenic the Official Global Airline Partner of the NBA and the first-ever referee jersey spot spouse of the NBA.

Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons talks with referee Scott Foster during the Emirates NBA Cup crippled against the Toronto Raptors astatine Scotiabank Arena connected Nov. 15, 2024. (Andrew Lahodynskyj/Getty Images)

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This caller narration followed the fallout of 2019 erstwhile Chinese authorities tv decided not to aerial 2 NBA accumulation games successful effect to the league's absorption to comments made by former Houston Rockets wide manager Daryl Morey successful enactment of pro-democracy protesters successful Hong Kong.

According to a study from ESPN, that blackout went connected for 18 months and much than 10 Chinese sponsors paused oregon withdrew from their deals. 

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