Under the clear sunny sky of Dubai the world´s fastest 3on3 basketball tournament kicked off, the Red Bull Half Court World Finals. 30 teams from 18 countries battled it out on the courts to earn their ticket to the knock-out stage. The sold out event will be played Saturday night beneath the skyline of Dubai with the Museum of the Future as unique backdrop. Laying eyes on the action were Arike Ogunbowale, WNBA star and Dallas Wings guard, Dušan Bulut, four-time World Tour Champion and Olympic medalist, and The Professor, the globally renowned streetball entertainer known for his creative handles and viral clips. Following intense and highly competitive qualifiers, eight of the twelve outstanding women’s teams have successfully moved on to the next round. Advancing to the quarterfinals are Egypt, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, UAE, Philippines, Japan, USA and Norway.
On the men’s side, eight of the eighteen competing teams have also earned qualification for the prestigious event. The teams moving on to the big showdown, which will be played on the interactive LED-court, featuring art-driven and graffiti-inspired designs by artists from all over the world on November 29 are: Australia, Turkey, Egypt, Norway, South Africa, Moldova, North Macedonia, Japan.
The tournament followes Red Bull Half Court’s fast-paced 3on3 format: 3 starters and 1 substitute, 10-minute time cap or 21-point maximum. The “Own the Court” bonus rewards teams that dominated in group stage scoring. A tactical twist came from two dedicated 3-point spots — three-foot circles positioned two metres behind the arc — adding another layer of excitement to the game.
Since its global launch in 2021, Red Bull Half Court has built on streetball formats like Red Bull King of the Rock and Red Bull Reign, and brought its World Finals to Rome, Cairo, Belgrade and New York City. Dubai 2025 adds another bold chapter to the tournament’s growing legacy, as Red Bull Half Court continued to push the boundaries of urban sports, culture and creativity.
AVAILABLE CONTENT
(free content for editorial use – no restrictions)
– News Cut with shot list & transcript / Social News Cut / Social News Clip (clean, and with English and Arabic texts-on-screen) / Event Photos
Contact: Fabian Ress
fabian.ress@3mpg.ch / +49 173 248 8404
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Images free of charge for editorial use.
Credit: Red Bull Content Pool