In two months to the day, Paris Basketball will be on the eve of its big move. The capital club will cross Paris from south to north. He will say goodbye and thank you without regret to the Halle Carpentier to definitively take over the new Adidas Arena Porte de la Chapelle. It will be February 11. At a time when unconfirmed rumors announce that it could absorb its adrift neighbor Boulogne-Levallois in 2024, the Paris basketball club is preparing to make its revolution.
For it to be complete, the ambitious player must establish himself permanently at the top of the hierarchy of French basketball. Born in 2018, promoted in 2021, narrowly saved a year later and not qualified for the playoffs in 2023, he is heading there.
In the Eurocup, the second division of European cups, Paris dominates its group and seems to have the means to win the trophy. Since the start of the season, he has not left the first three places in the championship either with Monaco and Asvel, two Euroleague entities with which David Kahn, the American president of Paris, wants to compete in the short term.
With Monaco, only a week ago, Tuomas Lisalo’s team saw that the step is still high. Paris was crushed (84-62). With its budget four times greater, the Rocher club is still well ahead. And compared to Asvel, where is Paris Basketball? That’s good. A week after Monaco, the coincidence of the calendar offered the Parisians this December 10, a duel with Tony Parker’s team. It was, for the occasion, the last championship match in the 13th arrondissement venue. Carpentier will only serve in a few Eurocup matches before giving up basketball at the end of January.
We do not yet know what this could mean over time, for example in a series of final phases which could well arrive in the spring. But in a match, we now know that Paris Basketball is entirely capable of competing with one of the 20 best European clubs, a giant like Asvel. Compete and even win.
“I feel we have potential”
The most successful club in France, without the injured Nando de Colo, fell on the banks of the Seine. Asvel was up to 15 points behind. 10 minutes from the end, she still had 9 handicap points (74-63). This is where the new coach of the house, the Italian Gianmarco Pozzecco, asked his troops to bolt the defense. It then became more complicated for Paris who forced the shots.
“If they came back, it’s because they have a very good team, with experienced players in all positions,” says German Tuomas Lisalo. A week after Monaco, and like a few days earlier in Lithuania, we showed great defensive energy. Of course it’s an important victory for us, especially since we had 3 injured players. The guys are doing an incredible job. This kind of match shows us what we can improve because the season, playing on two fronts, is still very long. Let’s not jump to conclusions even though I feel we have potential. »
The back and forth suddenly became suffocating. And then in the last minute, Nadir Hifi set the honorable room on fire with a 3 point from nowhere. “He improves from week to week, he makes the best decisions in decisive moments but we must not hide the fact that he is also a very good defender,” congratulates his coach.
Asvel, tired by this third match and this third defeat in the week, was unable to recover and lose (92-86). “They played with energy in defense, well done to them. We didn’t have enough energy at the end,” explains the Villeurbanne coach, a bit angry with the refereeing.
With this success, Paris overtakes its evening opponent, qualifies for the Leader’s Cup and takes second place in the ranking. For the moment, it’s anecdotal. But maybe not for long.
