The guard scored the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds left
McKinley Wright to the rescue as Dubai defeats Bayern, stays perfect at Coca-Cola Arena
Game Report
3 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 15 of 38
Regular Season
Dubai BasketballDUB
8988
FC Bayern MunichBAY
Overview
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ESPN writer Tim MacMahon has a segment on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast called the “Cojones Factor Player of the Week.” If he was watching Dubai Basketball’s Round 15 clash against FC Bayern Munich, the choice for that accolade would’ve been easy: Dubai guard McKinley Wright.
The hosts trailed 87–88 with 3.2 seconds remaining and had an inbounds play after Kosta Kondic forced a turnover on Stefan Jovic as Bayern tried to run out the clock. Justin Anderson inbounded to Wright, who took one step to his right and shot over the outstretched arms of Spencer Dinwiddie and Wenyen Gabriel to lift Dubai to a perfect 5–0 at Coca-Cola Arena.
There were still 0.2 seconds left for Bayern to get a shot off, but Vladimir Lucic’s attempt was blocked by Anderson – his third rejection of the night. After the game, the Dubai players celebrated on the floor with GM Dejan Kamenjasevic, the architect behind this Dubai team.
Kamenjasevic knows better than anyone that Dubai still has several more levels it can reach once its injured players return. Coach Jurica Golemac was missing seven players: Dzanan Musa, Aleksa Avramovic, Dwayne Bacon, Klemen Prepelic, and Boogie Ellis, along with long-term absentees Mam Jaiteh and Nate Mason. Yet one player who has begun to emerge as a EuroLeague star is Wright.
The 2024–25 ABA League MVP joined Dubai from BKT EuroCup side Buducnost VOLI Podgorica this past summer and needed a little time to adjust to the EuroLeague level. But since Round 10, he has been one of the UAE-based team’s most reliable performers. Able to score and facilitate at an elite level, Wright finished with 22 points, 7 assists, and a 28 PIR in the win over Bayern – the game leader in all three categories.
This has become the norm for Wright. He has posted a PIR of 12 or more in six straight games, recorded 6 or more assists in six of his last seven, and scored in double figures in three consecutive outings. With the season approaching the midway point, Wright appears to have found his groove.
Against Bayern, he was backed by the never-say-die attitudes of Anderson and Kondic, both of whom played key roles in Dubai’s comeback. Anderson, in particular, has become a leader for this Dubai team, something Wright acknowledged after the game.
“Great comeback, man,” Wright told EuroLeague TV. “We were in this situation when we played at home against Paris – down double digits with 15 minutes left. Justin Anderson is a veteran on this team, and he does a great job of keeping our spirits high, making sure we’re motivated and can come back and win any game. I’ve got to give a lot of credit to Justin for making sure we stay alert.”
The Dubai fans at Coca-Cola Arena have only ever seen their team win, with the club’s only “home” defeat coming against Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv, a game played in Bosnia and Herzegovina following guidance from local authorities. Wright hopes the team’s strong home form will bring more fans out to support them.
“We need more fans to start coming out,” he said. “Y’all seeing this is a real thing. We’re winning games. It’s going to be special for the future.”
If Dubai fans – or any local residents – needed a reason to come watch the team at Coca-Cola Arena, Wright is giving them plenty.
