The Dubai International Basketball Championship (DIBC) was a show. From dazzling NBA stars to packed crowds, and more, the 33rd Annual DIBC was a competition to remember. Dwight Howard, Andre Roberson, Andray Blatche, Wael Arakji, Amir Saoud, and more showed up and showed out for all stages of the competition.
The competition had teams from the UAE, Syria, the Philippines, Libya, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Morocco. Al Riyadi and the Strong Group Athletics Club were the key favorites going into the competition. Al Riyadi has one of the best teams in West Asia and is a perennial competitor for the DIBC title and other regional competitions like the West Asia Super League. The Strong Group squad was the other favorite because of its star-studded cast. Dwight Howard, former NBA superstar, three-time defensive player of the year, and perennial all-NBA contender, was a surprise signing for the competition for the SGA squad.
Additionally, Andre Roberson, former NBA 3 and D specialist, announced he would be returning to basketball by playing for the SGA squad in the DIBC. The final surprise was, NBA big man was Andray Blache, who played for the Washington Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets from 2005 to 2014, after which he played in China from 2014 to 2019. Unsurprisingly, Al Riyadi and the Strong Group Athletics squad went undefeated through the group stages and to the finals.
One of the most surprising teams was Al Ahli Tripoli from Libya. They only lost one game in the group stages and ultimately lost in the semifinals to the Strong Group Athletics. For those who don’t know, Libya is a giant in the region for basketball and has a long history of high-level play.
Overall the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship was one to remember with stars flying, tough competition, and remarkable buzzer-beaters. Congratulations to Al Riyadi on their perfect run going undefeated, and to all the competitors for putting on an amazing performance. Overall we at Dunk Center are looking forward to next year’s competition.