"I would love to play in China... Maybe somewhere in India" - Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to help the NBA become more global after featuring in Abu Dhabi Games
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to help the NBA become more global by wanting to play in China and India. Antetokounmpo had a blast representing the league in the Middle East at the 2022 NBA Abu Dhabi Games. The Milwaukee Bucks faced the Atlanta Hawks twice at the Etihad Arena.
At a news conference in Abu Dhabi, the two-time MVP expressed his interest in playing in other parts of the world. Antetokounmpo is open to playing more games in countries such as China and India. The NBA last played in those two countries in 2019 before the pandemic.
"I would love to play in China, maybe Shanghai or Beijing," Antetokounmpo said. "That will be a fine experience and maybe somewhere in India.
"Try to expand the game as much as possible and make it global and reach places that we have not reached. A lot of people around the world love basketball, and we have got to present and we want to create something for the fans."
Giannis on playing basketball around the globe 🌍 https://t.co/8y67f5Bvlf
The NBA has played a lot of preseason games in China since 2007. It's one of the biggest markets in the world, and the league makes billions through TV deals there. The last two teams to play a preseason game in China were the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets.
Meanwhile, the league has had a couple of preseason games in India. The Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers visited the country in 2017. The NBA had plans to return to India, but the pandemic halted everything, according to commissioner Adam Silver:
"We do have plans to come back to India. And again that was one of the setbacks that occurred with the pandemic. As you recall, it was the fall right before the pandemic really hit the whole world."
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays one of two games in Abu Dhabi
Giannis Antetokounmpo played one of two games for the Milwaukee Bucks in Abu Dhabi. "The Greek Freak" suited up in the first game against the Atlanta Hawks. He had 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. The Bucks lost the game 123-113.
Trae Young had 22 points, two rebounds and three assists for the Hawks. Meanwhile, Dejounte Murray showed out in his first game for his new team. Murray finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Young and Murray could form one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA.
In the second game in Abu Dhabi, the Bucks decided to give Giannis Antetokounmpo some rest. The two-time MVP sat on the bench as fans in attendance chanted his name. Milwaukee lost their second exhibition game 118-109.