"I also think it's a two-edged sword" - Adam Silver remains cautious of Saudi Arabia investments after LIV-PGA merger goes through

NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes that incoming investments from Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia is a double-edged sword. Silver opened up about the possible effects of the recent merger between the PGA and LIV Golf on the league.

In an interview on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, Silver explained why there could be both good and bad coming out from getting involved with Saudi investments.

"When the Saudis invest in sports, it gets outsized attention," Silver said. "Now, I don't want to complain about that because we want to get outsized attention. On the other hand, somebody could go down the list there. They are investors in some of our largest American corporations. Some of the most well-known brands have investments from them.

"And I also think it’s a two-edged sword. I hear the comments about sportswashing. ... I think people learn about these countries, learn about what's happening in the world in ways they otherwise wouldn't. So I think the media does its job."

As Sportskeeda reported earlier this year, Adam Silver and the NBA changed the rules about allowing sovereign wealth funds such as the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia to gain a minority stake in NBA teams. The league will only allow 20% ownership.

Apart from LIV Golf, the PIF has also bought into European football. They're the new owners of Newcastle United in the English Premier League. They were also linked to the WWE before Endeavor bought them for a whopping $9.3 billion.

Meanwhile, the NBA has also dipped its toes into the MENA region, especially in the United Arab Emirates. A couple of preseason games were played in Abu Dhabi this season, and the league is planning to do more activities there.

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Adam Silver not backing down from critics for holding NBA games in UAE

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks are set to play two preseason games in Abu Dhabi next season.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is not afraid of critics of the league's decision to bring games to the region despite all the negative attention it attracts.

"We continue to believe that using sports, using basketball," Silver told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last year. "We can improve people's lives through sport, and that, as Nelson Mandela famously said, sport can change the world. I think that we bring our games all over the world.

"I mean, part of why we choose certain markets is, of course, economics. There's no question about that. It's enormously expensive and resource-driven to bring teams around the world. We also want to try bringing our games to places we haven't been before, and the Middle East is one of those markets."

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