Paris Games CQFR 2023, what we saw/didn’t see
NBA Paris Games 2023 is over. We tell you what we saw and what we didn’t see from the event.
– We haven’t seen… Anthems of France and America. It’s still a staple of pregame folklore. On the other hand, the two teams’ intros were loud and the Pistons’ announcer did a good job. Whether or not you like the Bulls, a little spine-tingling music from the Alan Parsons Project to kick things off.
– We saw… LaVar Ball to leave the game, take a taxi in a small street near Bercy. The patriarch of the Ball family was arrested by the few fans who still recognized him (normally with his Big Baller Brand hat). Among said fans, there were still Sasha Zhoya, the French and future star of world athletics, is very happy to be able to take a picture with LaVar. He’s perhaps the best-suited member of the family to play basketball between Lonzo, who can’t return right now, LaMelo, who’s tweaking his ankle, and LiAngelo, who’s a cashier at Bricorama.
– We saw… The beginning of the fury over Picsou magazine’s four accreditations. First, two of the accreditations in question won the competition (adolescent, minor and father). Second, Picsou Mag often talks about the NBA, making it possible to reach a very young audience. There is reason to be disappointed for some media or accounts that have been denied accreditation, but Picsou Magazine is the wrong target.
– We haven’t seen… The card we were hoping for from Killian Hayes in front of the French public. Attention has been measured by Killian’s passes (8) and activity (2 interceptions), but his kicking has not been wanted in this match (2/12). The constant walks these three days have done for him will still do him good, we imagine.
Bulls enforce their laws in Paris, it’s a tough evening for Killian Hayes
– We saw… Three former Slam Dunk Contest winners are on the floor at the same time: Zach LaVine and Derrick Jones Jr. on one side, and Hamidou Diallo on the other. All three were good and each scored at least one quality tom.
– We didn’t see the bill. Finally, a few minutes. The screen at the AccorArena went a little crazy in the first half and gave a score that was radically different from the one on the giant screen.
– We saw… Rashard Lewis. For the three Orlando fans in the back of the classroom, including this writer, Rashard inevitably evokes fond memories and that team that made it to the 2009 NBA Finals. The 43-year-old former All-Star is part of the Pistons. staff for one year. Rashard is genuine and above all in better physical shape than half the players in Paris. If a team is looking for a leaky 4 capable of shooting 3-pointers…
– We saw… Magic Johnson He received the second biggest ovation of the entire evening when he was introduced to midfield. Tony Parker clearly won the votes and Victor Vembanyamasitting courtside, not far from the applause counter.
– We saw… George Eddy He won the popularity contest at the weekend as he had to shake hands and thank people who congratulated him on a very good documentary about his life which you can find on Canal Plus repeats. We also heard him tell his life story to an American journalist who happened to take his portrait from a poke bowl in Levallois.
– We saw… DeMar DeRozan as if he could score from mid-range even in his sleep. It would have taken another dimension in the 90s…
– We saw… a very beautiful moment in between Zach LaVine and the Marseille teenager he idolized.
Listen with the voice.
When a young Frenchman wore the number 8 in honor @ZachLavine ✨ #NBAParis ⎜ @ChicagoBulls pic.twitter.com/bPMYTAX9nQ
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) January 19, 2023
– We saw… Hamidou Diallo Two days before the match, he had a good time with the youth of PSG and showed that he is not just a dunker on the court (17 points).
– We haven’t seen… Adam Silver we promise to have a more attractive poster at the next NBA Paris Game, but the experiment must be repeated. The commission also recalled an interview with Emmanuel Macron about basketball during the next Paris Olympics and the cooperation between the league and France to develop basketball in Africa.
[ITW] Hamidou Diallo tells us about Africa, Wembanyama and SGA
