The road to a possible 17th Olympic men’s basketball gold medal has brought Team USA to Abu Dhabi, where LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Co enjoyed their first practice in the capital on Saturday ahead of their upcoming exhibition games against Australia and Serbia.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, greeted the squad and gave them a heartwarming speech ahead of their training session, wishing them luck and inviting them to soak in the culture during their stay in the UAE.
James is no stranger to the Middle East and is looking forward to taking to the court at Etihad Arena against Australia on Monday, July 15, and Serbia two days later.
“I’m excited to be here once again. I spent a little time in Saudi Arabia, I was in Dubai as well, and now being here in Abu Dhabi. I’m looking forward to playing in the game on Monday, playing the game on Wednesday, and seeing the reception that we get for Team USA. I’m super excited. It’s always a treat,” said the two-time Olympic gold medallist and four-time NBA champion.
Players like Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday, Tyrese Haliburton are all repeat visitors to Abu Dhabi, which has become a vibrant hub for basketball in the region.
Edwards came to the capital twice last year – once with Team USA during the summer ahead of their FIBA World Cup campaign and once with the Minnesota Timberwolves for a pair of pre-season games against the Dallas Mavericks in October.
“I told them it’s super fun, the people are very welcoming, it’s a dope place to visit,” Edwards shared with his USA teammates before they touched down in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
The Timberwolves guard said he planned on hitting the beach post-practice while Curry, Devin Booker, and recently crowned NBA champion Jayson Tatum went to Yas Links for a round of golf.
Tatum is one of three Boston Celtics players who have made the USA roster, with Holiday and new addition Derrick White – who has replaced Kawhi Leonard – also facing the challenge of getting ready for the Olympics so soon after their championship win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Holiday faced the same situation three years ago at the Tokyo Games, where he was coming off a title victory with the Milwaukee Bucks and went straight into a gold medal run with Team USA at the Olympics.
“You rest when you can, you take care of your body when you’re not on the court. There’s a lot of things you got to do, just icing and stretching and massages and things to take care of your body,” said Holiday.
“Doing your best just trying to get away from basketball, mentally escaping. Me, I do a lot of things with my family. We have fun. A time like this, we try to enjoy Abu Dhabi, try to enjoy the culture, so that you kind of get away from the basketball a little bit.”
Head coach Steve Kerr is back in Abu Dhabi but with a different group of stars to the one he led at the World Cup last year. USA placed an underwhelming fourth at that tournament but then proceeded to build an elite squad that is Dream Team-esque and is the outright favourite for gold in Paris this summer.
“We definitely built the roster with more size, more physicality, we’re trying to put the best defensive players and defensive team on the floor as much as possible,” explained Kerr, who has the likes of Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant at his disposal.
After beating Canada in their first exhibition game in Las Vegas last Wednesday, USA will take on Australian and Serbia in Abu Dhabi before flying to London for friendlies against South Sudan and Germany.
The Nikola Jokic-led Serbia team will also be USA’s first opponent at the Olympic Games in France, which means Kerr will probably choose not to show all his cards in their exhibition clash on Wednesday.
“I think the main thing is we’ve only been practising for four days, and then we had one game. So this is really more about us and not worrying about our opponents,” explained the Golden State Warriors coach.
“This whole week is very important for us, practice time. So I don’t think we’ll plan anything special against Serbia [in Abu Dhabi], it’s more just continuing to get better.”
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The years Ramadan fell in May
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20permanently%20excited%20synchronous%20motors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E516hp%20or%20400Kw%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E858Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERange%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E485km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh699%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More coverage from the Future Forum
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
More from Neighbourhood Watch
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More on animal trafficking
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Masters%20of%20the%20Air
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cary%20Joji%20Fukunaga%2C%20Dee%20Rees%2C%20Anna%20Boden%2C%20Ryan%20Fleck%2C%20Tim%20Van%20Patten%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Austin%20Butler%2C%20Callum%20Turner%2C%20Anthony%20Boyle%2C%20Barry%20Keoghan%2C%20Sawyer%20Spielberg%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine 60kwh FWD
Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power 204hp Torque 360Nm
Price, base / as tested Dh174,500
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles -- replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla -- Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump -- hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump -- personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The years Ramadan fell in May
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
