PARIS — Within the world of team sports, there are few leagues capable of moving their product from one side of the planet to the other without the final product being barely altered compared to the original. The foundation on which the pillars of contemporary sports competitions are based is the public. The fans are the ones who really make the difference to determine if something works or not. It is not so much about numbers, income or interactions in social networks as about the experience lived in the stadium, the rapport between the pitch and the stands and the desire to cheer whatever the outcome. The NBA He mobilized his particular show beyond the Atlantic, crossing the pond for the first time since the pandemic changed the world. The place chosen was the same as in that fateful 2020 where everything changed: Paris.
The choice of the two teams that took part in the second duel of the Regular Season on French soil and the eleventh on the Old Continent was not accidental. The story between Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls comes from a long way back, so much so that only four players were born when the battles between these two teams reached their peak in the Playoffs (Dragic, DeRozan, Bogdanovic and Vucevic). However, none of them have memories of that period, as they were just beginning their vital journey.
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Time cooled that rivalry, as it also ended up leaving behind the best years of both franchises. But if there is something that remains unchanged over the decades, it is the nostalgia, the idealized memory of what once was. And the NBA knows how to use that warm feeling like few others, giving it both a sporting and a commercial sense.
In the surroundings of the stadium, the French fans wore, above all, Bulls jerseys, but on their backs the name of DeRozan or Vucevic did not appear, perhaps some brave one with LaVine’s. No, the king was Jordan, just like the last time Chicago visited the City of Lights 25 years ago.
The memory of what that team did during the nineties of the last century is still very present among all strata of fans who have any kind of interest in the league. Without going any further, the usual meeting place for fans in the city, known as NBA House, it became a small, makeshift museum for some of the most valuable and coveted pieces for ardent Bulls fans. Larry O’Brien’s six trophies won in a period of eight seasons rested a few meters from the Seine. Around them, a good collection of souvenirs of great value. the shoes they wore Michael Jordan o Dennis Rodman, or a part of the parquet of the Chicago Stadium signed by the 1990 ensemble, were some of the objects that shaped that corner.
9️⃣ NBA championships in two photos ????
2️⃣ of the teams that marked the nineties #NBAParis | #NBAParisGame2023 pic.twitter.com/LPdcMfViUk
— ???????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? España ???????? (@sportingnewses) January 19, 2023
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The game, the great reason why the NBA makes two teams travel half the world in the middle of the season, more than met the expectations of the public, even more than in 2020. Zach LaVine He classified the environment as “electric” in the subsequent press conference, and he was right. Something that was possible thanks to the fact that the players themselves wanted to put on a good show and tried to offer a small pill of what is seen in this league night after night from October to June.
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Although it was not the most competitive duel or with the highest level of play, the isolated actions were worth it. Here lies the reason why this competition manages to succeed wherever it goes. there is a true sense of belonging and responsibility on the part of the protagonists of the game towards the NBA and vice versa. This has a lot to do with the fact that players and teams are partners and there is not a simple employer-employee relationship as in other sports. If the NBA grows, they too are rewarded. The most veterans know this and lead the most inexperienced by example.
“It was incredible”DeMar DeRozan said at a press conference. “Tonight is one of those games where, for me, I will look back a few years from now and realize how incredible this moment was. The atmosphere. have the commissioner [Adam Silver] here. Having Magic Johnson here. Everyone who attended, it was definitely a very nice atmosphere and a privilege to be a part of all of this.”
A sentiment shared by others, such as the Bulls coach, Billy Donovan, who reflected a little more on the significance of the event.
“When you have the opportunity to go to a different country and see people who maybe follow the NBA in some way with the time change, and who knows what time in the morning, it’s a great thing for people here to be able to see from near the NBA”, commented the technician. “It makes you realize that this sport is followed so closely all over the world. It was incredible to know that the tickets were sold out and the enthusiasm that the public showed”.
The league turns everything it touches into gold and Paris moved to the sound of those three acronyms (transport strike through), bringing a good number of legends and ex-players with a remarkable career to the occasion. From a Magic Johnson who recalled his presence in 1991 for the Open McDonald’s to figures of the stature of Toni Kukoc, Tony Parker, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace or Joakim Noah, who left moments to remember wherever he went.
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Missing and it goes to Joakim Noah ????
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— ???????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? España ???????? (@sportingnewses) January 18, 2023
But this express trip also produced a very curious image. The player who, as Dwane Casey and Adam Silver joked, they are not allowed to talk about, and whose fame and hype precede him, he did not miss the opportunity to see up close who his rivals will be next year: Victor Wembanyama. The future of France is in their hands and who knows if also that of the NBA. “He’s someone who can come to the NBA and change the game again.”DeRozan acknowledged when asked by The Sporting News and reason is not lacking.
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????️ DeMar DeRozan responds to a question about Victor Wembanyama in the arena where he plays week after week#NBAParis #NBAParisGame2023 pic.twitter.com/6OglvRMTW5
— ???????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? España ???????? (@sportingnewses) January 18, 2023
The future of the NBA at an international level depends on continuing to expand and finding windows to bring its best product, the game, wherever the fans are committed to the cause. It is not an easy undertaking, especially with such a demanding schedule of 82 games, but there is a vocation and a demand for matches in all corners of the globe. Specially in Europa.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
