As Abu Dhabi gets set to host the region鈥檚 first NBA games this Thursday and Saturday, stars of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks have vowed to put on a show at the Etihad Arena.

The Bucks and the Hawks 鈥� who squared off in the 2021 NBA Eastern Conference Finals before the former went on to win their first championship in 50 years 鈥� will get their preseason campaigns up and running with two sold-out clashes on Yas Island.

Both teams held open practice sessions at Etihad Arena on Wednesday and spent some time talking to the press. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from an exciting media day in the capital.

A 50-point game from Giannis?

Milwaukee superstar and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo initially laughed off the idea he would score 50 points against the Hawks on Thursday before adding: 鈥淏ut you never know though, never say never.鈥�

The Greek Freak then shared what he thinks fans can expect from him and his teammates.

鈥淎 good game with a lot of intensity, a lot of excitement, a lot of threes, a lot of dunks and hopefully the Bucks win,鈥� said Antetokounmpo.

While Atlanta guard Trae Young would not promise any half-court shots, the two-time NBA All-Star predicts a high-octane battle with the Bucks, after spending a full five days enjoying the sights in Abu Dhabi while upping preseason training with his team.

鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to come out here and try to put on a show for the fans,鈥� said Young.

鈥淚 know this is big for the people out here and what鈥檚 going on for the game.

鈥淔rom our team you鈥檙e definitely going to get a competitive side, I know Giannis is going to do the same for his team, the Bucks. It鈥檚 going to be competitive but at the same time we know what the long run is and we鈥檙e trying to build and trying to get better still.鈥�

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer hopes his team鈥檚 values shine through when they take to the court for these two games.

鈥淗opefully the fans will see a team that plays with a lot of passion, that plays hard, that plays unselfishly; it鈥檚 got great energy,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 probably nobody that鈥檚 got more passion than Giannis and I think it鈥檚 infectious, the whole team kind of plays similarly so hopefully they鈥檒l see a team that plays hard, plays together, and hopefully does some special things.鈥�

Trae鈥檚 鈥榰nreal experience鈥�

You don鈥檛 often see players from opposing teams in professional sport decide to train together during the offseason, but that鈥檚 what Young and Golden State Warriors鈥� Stephen Curry did over the summer.

Two of the best shooters of the game, Young, 24, and Curry, 34, spent a week working out together and honing their skills for the new season and it was an experience Young says he鈥檒l never forget.

鈥淭hat was an unreal experience. For me, just knowing how he鈥檚 changed the game, and what he brought to the game; I鈥檓 always a sponge and learning new things, so there are a lot of things that he鈥檚 done that I鈥檝e never seen or I鈥檝e never been a part of,鈥� said Young on Wednesday, heaping praise on Curry.

鈥淪o just being a part of workouts and getting on the court and actually playing some games with him was actually really fun, so I鈥檝e actually learned some things.鈥�

Dejounte Murray, who joined the Hawks from the San Antonio Spurs in June, also rubbed shoulders with an all-time great during the offseason. Murray had 鈥渁 really great workout鈥� with LeBron James this summer and got a brief but close look at some of the things that make the four-time NBA champion a strong contender in the GOAT debate.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not just one word, he鈥檚 a great,鈥� said Murray of the 37-year-old James, considered one of the Greatest of All Time players.

鈥淟ongevity, 20 years, that means he takes care of his body, his diet, the food he eats, he works on his game, in the weight room, however you want to put it; he鈥檚 the whole package. We鈥檝e got to appreciate guys like that. Those are guys who you honor and look up to when you鈥檙e trying to be a basketball player.鈥�

First look at Young and Murray

Since news broke that the Hawks had acquired Murray from the Spurs, the anticipation has been building to see how he and Young will look to share the back court this upcoming campaign.

The guard mates sound excited about teaming up and Hawks coach Nate McMillan is keen to see what kind of chemistry they will have in their first game together on Thursday.

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about bringing Murray on with us to join our roster. I think he鈥檚 just going to add so much to the team on both ends of the floor; the offensive end of the floor as well as the defensive end of the floor,鈥� McMillan told Arab News.

鈥淗is ability to defend, (he鈥檚) one of the top defenders in the league, which is the area we felt that we needed to improve on; he will help us establish our defense.

鈥淥ffensively, the combination of Trae and Murray in the back court, they both will be able to play off of each other. It鈥檚 really been good in training camp; we鈥檙e excited to see it for the first time tomorrow night against Milwaukee and we鈥檒l be able to learn from that game the things we can do with those two guys now playing in the back court together.鈥�

Young will understandably need to make some adjustments with the arrival of Murray but is not daunted by that prospect.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun, it鈥檚 not going to be, say a challenge. I think the only challenge is just learning how to play off the ball a little bit with him and just kind of getting a feel. You鈥檝e got a new teammate, you鈥檝e got to learn how different things feel, so that鈥檚 going to be the only challenge,鈥� said Young.

鈥淏esides that, we鈥檙e both competitors, we鈥檙e both very smart, we can pass, score; we have a lot of similarities. The connection is already there, it鈥檚 just now you鈥檝e got to get some game reps and get it going.鈥�

They鈥檝e already gone on camel rides together in the Abu Dhabi desert; that鈥檚 definitely a good start.

鈥楾he mind is infinite鈥�

He鈥檚 already shaping up to be one of the best to ever play the game but what makes Antetokounmpo even more intriguing is the fact he hasn鈥檛 even come close to hitting his ceiling yet.

鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the most special thing about Giannis when we think about him today, it鈥檚 how much better he can get,鈥� explained coach Budenholzer.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we ever want to put a ceiling on him. He鈥檚 very special, very unique and we look forward to watching him grow.鈥�

The big man from Greece says he has put the Bucks鈥� 2020-2021 championship-winning season behind him and insists it鈥檚 time to create new memories and hit new milestones with the team.

Antetokounmpo has dominated a lot of the conversations between players and the press so far in Abu Dhabi, with Young noting his passion for the game as the Greek鈥檚 most standout attribute, while Giannis鈥� older brother Thanasis hailed his 鈥渦nselfishness.鈥�

Giannis spoke about how much attention he gives to preserving his mental health and described the constant work he does with his sports psychologist as the 鈥渂est investment鈥� he鈥檚 ever made.

鈥淲e invest in real estate, we invest in stocks, we invest in whatever people invest in, but the biggest investment you can do is with yourself and it鈥檚 okay to not be okay,鈥� said the 27-year-old.

鈥淭he stigma around young athletes, or anybody in general, when they say something is wrong with them and they鈥檙e being labeled as weak, it鈥檚 got to stop.

鈥淔or me, daily or every other day I talk to a sports psychologist; that helps me a lot. I believe in my body, you can improve until a point; you can jump this high, you can be this quick or whatever, but mentally, your mind is infinite.

鈥淵ou can always improve, you can always learn something new, you can always develop good coping mental mechanisms to cope with your life and it has helped me to become a better father, a better partner, a better son, a better teammate, just a better human being. So the best investment you can do is that.鈥�