The NBA and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism announced an extension of their partnership Thursday, with the league agreeing to continue bringing preseason games to the Middle East and the sides completing talks to launch a new global academy in the United Arab Emirates’ capital for top boys players.Financial terms were not disclosed, though it’s reasonable to expect that the nine-year extension would be worth well over $300 million — based on how the DCT agreed to pay the EuroLeague a reported 25 million euros ($29.2 million) to play host to that league’s Final Four last year.The extension also comes at a time where the NBA and FIBA are working toward launching a new league in Europe, possibly as early as next year. And the DCT has deep ties to Manchester City, which is believed to be one of the franchises that has met with the NBA about the possibility of bidding for a spot in the new basketball venture. Manchester City also has a stake in the Co-Op Live Arena, where the NBA is bringing a regular-sea …
