Dubai Basketball are one of the hottest stories in European basketball right now, and tonight the stakes officially go up. The 2025/26 AdmiralBet ABA League semi-finals get underway on Thursday, May 21, with Dubai Basketball hosting Budućnost VOLI at Husejin Smajlović Sports Hall in Zenica. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM local time, which is 8:00 PM back home in the UAE.
This one is for a finals berth, and after the season Dubai have had, you really do not want to miss it.
Why the Game Is in Zenica, Not Dubai
The original plan was to play at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, but that changed fast. Due to recent geopolitical events in the region, the first game of the semi-finals series between Dubai Basketball and Budućnost VOLI will not be played at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai as initially planned. Over the past few days, the club worked together with all parties involved to explore the possibility of returning to the UAE for the series, but it was ultimately decided that the game would be played in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The game date was also changed, and instead of being played on May 20, the match will now take place on Thursday, May 21 at 6:00 PM at Arena Husejin Smajlović in Zenica.
Since regional unrest began in February, the team was forced to relocate all ABA League and EuroLeague home fixtures to Bosnia and Herzegovina, playing nine home fixtures between Sarajevo and Zenica over a 66-day relocation period. Tonight’s game is a continuation of that run, and it marks the first time in history that AdmiralBet ABA League basketball will be played in Zenica.
Following the games on May 21 and May 25, and May 28 if a third game is necessary, the team is expected to return to Dubai.
Dubai Basketball’s Road to the Semis
Getting here was not by accident. Dubai Basketball swept the Quarterfinal series against Spartak Office Shoes 2:0, winning Game 1 in Sarajevo and Game 2 on the road in Subotica to punch their ticket to the final four.
Now they run into Budućnost VOLI, the Montenegrin club out of Podgorica that made it through a tough quarterfinal of their own. Budućnost VOLI beat U-BT Cluj-Napoca 112-81 in the decisive third game of their quarter-final series, setting up a high-stakes meeting between the two sides.
Here is the thing though: Dubai Basketball already faced Budućnost twice this season, coming out victorious both times. Dubai won 89-78 in Sarajevo and 95-78 in Podgorica during the Top 8 stage, underlining their ability to handle Budućnost’s physicality. Playoffs basketball is a different animal, but the head-to-head record gives Dubai a real psychological edge walking in tonight.
Who Is Dubai Basketball?
If you are just getting acquainted with the team, here is the short version. Founded in 2023, Dubai Basketball has moved quickly from ambitious entrant to one of the most watched teams in the ABA League. The roster has been constructed around experienced international talent, with Dzanan Musa among the central figures in its offensive setup, supported by a group capable of spreading scoring across multiple positions.
Despite the venue disruptions, the front office is already planning aggressively for the 2026-27 season, with top-tier candidates for a new head coach and potential player signings in the pipeline.
The project is clearly going somewhere, and tonight is a massive chapter in that story.
What to Expect
Semi-finals against a battle-tested club like Budućnost VOLI will be physical and tight. Budućnost enter the tie with a longer record of competing at the upper end of regional basketball, which means experience will be a factor. But Dubai have handled this opponent twice already at a high level, and they go in with the confidence of a team that has not dropped a playoff game yet.
The club regrets not being able to reunite with fans in Dubai and will continue working towards bringing games back to the city in anticipation of a potential finals qualification.
If Dubai get through this series, the finals stage is where their home crowd finally gets their moment. That is the goal. Tonight is just step one.
Game Details:
Match: Dubai Basketball vs Budućnost VOLI
Competition: AdmiralBet ABA League Semi-Finals, Round 1
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 Tip-off: 6:00 PM (Bosnia) / 8:00 PM (UAE)
Venue: Arena Husejin Smajlović, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Series Schedule: Game 1 — May 21 | Game 2 — May 25 | Game 3 (if needed) — May 28
Cover Image: @dubaibasketballclub/Instagram
