50 signatures reached
To: Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner; Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner; Ralph Rivera, NBA Managing Director, Europe & Middle East; The NBA Board of Governors
Tell the NBA: “No more UAE!”
Dear Commissioner Silver and NBA Leadership,
As fans, supporters, and members of the global basketball community, we are calling on the National Basketball Association to end its partnership with Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This collaboration, which brings official NBA games and branding to Abu Dhabi, directly contradicts the league’s professed commitment to human rights, social justice, and equality.
The UAE’s government stands accused of actively aiding and financing armed groups responsible for atrocities in Sudan, including the genocide unfolding in Darfur and across the country today. Numerous human rights organizations, independent journalists, and UN reports have documented the UAE’s role in supplying weapons, funding militias, and sustaining the war that has displaced millions of Sudanese civilians and claimed countless lives.
By maintaining its high-profile partnership with Abu Dhabi, the NBA risks normalizing and legitimizing a regime that is complicit in crimes against humanity.
The NBA has long prided itself on being more than a sports league. It has become a symbol of social progress, amplifying calls for racial justice, gender equality, and human rights across the world. Through initiatives like NBA Africa, the league has celebrated the brilliance and leadership of African players, investing in youth programs and promoting unity through basketball.
Yet, this partnership with Abu Dhabi sends a devastatingly mixed message: that the lives of African people are negotiable when profits are involved.
As fans, we believe in the NBA’s power to inspire change — not to obscure injustice.
We urge the league to:
- End the Abu Dhabi partnership and suspend all games and promotional events in the UAE.
- Conduct a transparent review of all international partnerships to ensure alignment with the league’s stated values on human rights and social justice.
- Publicly acknowledge the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and use the NBA’s platform to support peace and relief efforts for the Sudanese people.
- While divesting from UAE, invest equivalent $ in MENA communities that NEED support.
Basketball connects people across borders — but connection without conscience is exploitation. The NBA cannot stand for “equality for all” while aligning itself with governments funding genocide in Africa. Ending this partnership would be a powerful act of integrity and solidarity — one that honors the spirit of the game and the humanity of those who love it.
Why is this important?
The NBA’s partnership with Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates stands in direct contradiction to the league’s values of social justice and equality. The UAE has been accused of funding and arming forces responsible for the genocide in Sudan. Fans are calling on the NBA to end this deal immediately and stand with the people of Sudan.