When Mark Jackson speaks about basketball’s global growth, he isn’t dealing in hypotheticals. The former NBA All-Star and New York Knicks point guard has lived the game from every angle – player, coach, broadcaster – and he sees Abu Dhabi’s annual showcase as more than simply preseason entertainment. For him, it is proof that basketball is becoming a way of life in places far from where he first learned to dribble on the playgrounds of Brooklyn.
The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ will feature the Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers playing preseason games on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The Filipino Times was part of a media briefing with Jackson ahead of the double-header in the UAE capital.
Can the UAE and Philippines produce NBA stars?
Jackson will be one of the NBA legends coming to Abu Dhabi to take part in a host of activities connected to the NBA Abu Dhabi Games. Asked whether communities abroad – such as the Philippines or the UAE – could one day produce players capable of reaching the NBA, his response left little to doubt.
“Not only play in the NBA, but star in the NBA,” he said. “The best players in the world used to be dominated by USA – by Americans. Yet think about the countries that have representatives flourishing in the NBA; you look at the MVP, the championship, the All-Star team, the All-NBA teams, they are all impacted by [people from] everywhere. So not only can Filipinos play in the NBA, but I expect soon for somebody to not just be a player, but have a real impact and potentially be an all-star or MVP.
“You think about Yao Ming, you think about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, they’re not just playing in the NBA, they are absolutely flourishing and impacting in a major way.”
Advice to the next generation
Speaking about the advice he would give to young players hoping to build a career in the sport, Jackson highlighted key essential qualities, but stressed that the primary characteristic should always be passion.
“Be passionate about it,” he said. “Don’t let anybody outwork you. That’s one thing about the pride I’ve taken playing 17 years in the NBA. I wasn’t the most athletic, I wasn’t the most skilled, I wasn’t the most explosive guy on the court. I was the slowest guy on every team I ever played in, but at the end of the day, nobody outworked me.
“I became a student of the game because I realised I didn’t have those attributes needed to be an all-time great athlete. But nothing stopped me from being the smartest guy on the court, which put me in a position to have an advantage over everybody else.
“I’m a college graduate because basketball put me in a position to go to high school, it put me in a position to go to college, and it put me in a position, as importantly, to graduate college. I have a degree in communications. I didn’t allow basketball to use me. I used basketball.”
Jackson added that the opportunities Abu Dhabi fans will experience go beyond the Games themselves. “You will be seeing a whole community of successful people. There are opportunities to be successful in life outside of basketball.”
Planting seeds through NBA District
That seed is what the NBA and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism aim to nurture through the Games and the interactive NBA District at Manarat Al Saadiyat. This year once again, the District lets fans meet legends such as Oscar Robertson, Derrick Rose, Mark Jackson, John Starks, Rudy Gay, and Michael Carter-Williams, and experience basketball blended with culture.
As the Knicks and 76ers prepare to tip-off next week, Jackson’s words land with weight. For young dreamers in Abu Dhabi, basketball is no longer confined to television screens. It is here, in their city, within reach – and, if they follow the passion and discipline he describes, possibly in their future.
Tickets to NBA District are available at ticketmaster.ae. Special packages offering premium access, VIP experiences, and hospitality can be purchased at nbaexperiences.com/nba-abu-dhabi-games-2025.. Tickets for the NBA Abu Dhabi Games are on sale at etihadarena.ae and ticketmaster.ae.
