Not all doors open for Paris Basketball… Invited to Pro B in 2018 then to the EuroCup in 2022, the capital’s club saw those of a Burgundy night establishment close in front of it on Saturday, with the manager prioritizing his loyalty at the JL Bourg with the promise of a fruitful evening. So much the better for the competition…
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“I don’t know if there has ever been an equivalent in the history of European basketball”
Present at Ékinox, the president David Kahn had certainly not imagined experiencing one of the first historic evenings of his mandate in Bourg-en-Bresse. But such is the life of Paris Basketball, born in the ashes of Hyères-Toulon in 2018 and which had never played in the slightest series of playoffs until then. The story has sometimes been eventful with often disappointing sporting results, apart from a crazy three-month series in 2021 which opened the doors to the elite for the team of Jean-Christophe Prat. Otherwise, the American-Parisian project resisted the depths of Pro B, the torments of Covid, an immense scare during its discovery of the Betclic ELITE with a rescue on the last day and the folk season Will Weaver. But six years later, here he is finally (or already!) in the promised land: the EuroLeague, won thanks to his EuroCup coronation.
“This title symbolizes a meteoric rise on the part of Paris Basketball”proclaims the coach Tuomas Iisalo. “I don’t know if there has ever been an equivalent in the history of European basketball. This says everything about the work of David Kahn and Eric Schwartz to bring the club to this level. They’ve been doing a good job for years. When they presented the project to me, they told me they needed one last push. They trusted me, gave me all the keys to basketball operations. There are a lot of people in the shadows trying to do something unique. Obviously, for the team, it is a huge sporting achievement but it is also a huge step forward for the club. All the pieces of the puzzle came together at the same time: the inauguration of the Adidas Arena, the first trophy with the Leaders Cup, the EuroCup…
The next challenge: the EuroLeague
The Finnish technician, voted coach of the year in the EuroCup, still remembers his arrival in the French capital: “When I arrived in Paris, I immediately saw that there was so much talent in this country. It’s incredible ! I told friends that we could accomplish something really special, that there was a real basketball culture in this city. It’s a unique story. We will have to find a way to continue it next year. As soon as we win a trophy, we automatically raise the bar a little higher. The next challenge (the EuroLeague) will be huge: there will be more games, more money will be needed for planes, single rooms, additional players, etc. It will be a huge challenge for the club. But we are going to tackle the task because we want to accomplish something unique within European basketball. We are well ahead of schedule. » It’s the principle of those who succeed at everything faster than others…
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2024-04-13 15:08:12
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