"We stuck it everywhere!" " When it arrives in town, the North American Professional Basketball League (NBA) appears. Even on wild inserts stuck in a hurry in the area surrounding the AccorHotels Arena in Bercy. Paid by a company specializing in vintage jerseys, Cédric goes on to collages revealing the old-fashioned jerseys of the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks.
In the crowded Parisian precinct, Friday, January 24, the Bucks dominated the Hornets (116-103), winning the first NBA regular season game ever held in France.
For the record, it will be remembered that it was Terry Rozier who scored the first "hexagonal" points in NBA history. For the rest, the meeting will have alternated awkwardness – explained by " jet lag " according to Bucks shooter Kyle Korver -, putting forward the great old timers and an American show set to the millimeter. All the ingredients for a regular season NBA game (which has 1,230 before the play-off), but started – France obliges – with a Marseillaise on the electric guitar.
Welcome to Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) on a "eurostep" – a double step with very broad support – the arena heats up a bit after a chilly start. But, regular season obliges, the atmosphere recalls that of the majority of the matches of the League.
"It's a total experience", assured the day before Adam Silver, the boss of NBA – or commissionaire. That of glitter, animated downtime, stars having fun in the front row. And stars there were; from Neymar to Mbappé via Icardi or Verratti, PSG has thus strongly demonstrated its association with the Jordan brand. That, too, of the warmer atmospheres during breaks, to try to obtain a t-shirt, than during the phases of play.
Oh Giannis with the euro-step! 😍 #NBAParis https://t.co/VESzxVeCfc
Around the delegations, a multitude of partners
When it arrives in town, the NBA brings weapons and baggage, reunites the ban and the backcourt. "These Americans are everywhere", annoys a photographer, rushed home. Surprisingly, there was no shortage of volunteers wishing to accompany the teams to the City of Lights. And if the two official delegations had a total of 140 souls, the organization of the meeting mobilized many more people.
From Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the best scorer in the history of the League, to the "Mugsy" Bogues goblin, who had played a summer match in Paris in the 1990s in Charlotte's jersey, several NBA alumni have settled down in the French capital.
Everyone wanted to be there; also the NBA took advantage of the brand image of Paris to promote its activities. The LVMH group has thus announced the launch of a Louis Vuitton trunk which will contain the Larry O’Brien trophy given to the champion at the end of the season – on the model of what it does at Roland Garros. And since it was necessary for all budgets – the price of tickets, 250 euros on average, up to 1,600 euros – and to target an audience as eclectic as possible, the League also inaugurated a NBA House, a short-lived place where fans could immerse themselves in "The NBA experience".
"We were on vacation"
In a gymnasium on the 19the borough, the MVP (most valuable player, best player) of last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo, had his dance steps admired as early as Wednesday at a youth tournament. Farther south, inside the Parc des Princes, the Greek and his Bucks teammates exchanged soccer juggles. Again, the business was never far away, and the Paris club took the opportunity to present a new jersey and a collection of clothing in collaboration with the Jordan brand. "Paris is the fashion capital, the link seemed obvious", justified, Friday, Michael Jordan, immense glory of the NBA and now owners of the Charlotte Hornets.
"Shoote on his head", urges a spectator from Bercy. On the Bucks side, Khris Middleton does three things. And despite an impression of having played in slow motion, in the end, it was the Bucks of an effective Antetokounmpo but in control (30 points, 16 rebounds) who won, justifying their status as the league's best record.
"You can't really say it was a regular season game, professed Charlotte’s Congolese interior, Bismack Biyombo, after the meeting, verbalizing the general idea. There was Tony (Parker), the old ones… it was almost an All-Star Game! We're on vacation, away from Charlotte… But everyone, fans and players alike, we had a great time, and that's most important. " For those who missed the experience, the NBA will return next year.
