Tristan Thompson has a new job in basketball. It just won’t involve setting screens or crashing the offensive glass.
Dubai Basketball announced Thursday that the longtime Cavaliers big man has joined the EuroLeague organization as a global ambassador, a role that will have Thompson helping expand the club’s international profile and establish Dubai as a destination for high-level basketball.
Dubai Basketball president Dejan Kamenjasevic pointed to Thompson’s “championship pedigree” and “global credibility” as qualities that made him a fit for the position, per the team’s announcement.
For Cavs fans, of course, Thompson needs little introduction.
Selected by Cleveland with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Thompson spent the bulk of his 14-year NBA career with the Cavaliers and was a major part of the franchise’s 2016 championship team. He also had stops with the Celtics, Kings, Pacers, Bulls and Lakers.
Thompson appeared in 819 regular-season games overall, averaging 8.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. His most recent NBA action came with Cleveland in 2024-25, when he appeared in 40 games.
The 35-year-old has never formally announced his retirement, so technically, he’s still a free agent. Still, this certainly looks like another indication that Thompson may be easing into life after playing.
If that’s the case, he’s doing it in a place with major ambitions. Dubai Basketball debuted in the EuroLeague last season and has made no secret of wanting to become a significant player on the international basketball scene.
Now it has an NBA champion helping spread the word.
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