The last two teams to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy – the 2023 Denver Nuggets and 2024 Boston Celtics – arrived in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and will tip off the 2024-25 preseason on Friday ( 12 PM ET, NBA App) with the first of two games in the UAE.

The NBA returned to the Persian Gulf on Friday for the third consecutive year, and the preseason schedule for the 2023-24 season opened with the Boston Celtics beating the Denver Nuggets 107-103 in a matchup of the two most recent championship clubs.

The past two NBA champions are playing pair of preseason games in the UAE's capital, which has become focal point for the league's international efforts.