Why the City of Love is falling for hoops: “It's a wonderful time for French basketball”
From the NBA Paris Games to the rise of Victor Wembanyama and the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, men’s basketball is at the peak of its power in France. Olympics.com went out to find out more about what it means for those experiencing it.
“This city is a very electric basketball city,” Donovan Mitchell declared at the NBA Paris Game earlier this month.
Part of the winning Cleveland Cavaliers side that took to the court at the Bercy Arena, the four-time NBA All Star spoke of a “heavy basketball culture” in France, and of a buzz in the country that was unlike anything he had seen.
The glitz, the celebrity, the glamour - when America’s premier basketball league did come to town it hit the city like a sugar rush.
A triumvirate of football superstars including Kylian Mbappe, David Beckham and Ronaldo graced the front row to watch the Cavs battle the Brooklyn Nets. In tow were some of Formula One’s top drivers.
It was the place to be and the sport to watch. And while the sparks might have settled since the NBA retreated back across the Atlantic, it’s clear that a steady hum of excitement remains.
There is a growing feeling that elite basketball belongs in Paris, and as the first place in Europe the game was exported to after its invention in 1891, there has always been a profound connection between France and hoops.
But it feels that now, in 2024, that bond is stronger than ever.
To understand more about the current atmosphere surrounding men’s basketball in France and the impact it is having, Olympics.com spoke to fans at the NBA Paris Game - and this is what they said.
"We'll have the top stars"
Tony Parker, Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama - there is plenty of NBA talent past, present and future for French fans to gloat about when it comes to the top level of men’s basketball, but the energy for sport in France runs much deeper.
“I live basketball, every day,” one person said talking about the impact of the game on their life. “I follow the NBA, I play the video game, I play in real life and watch all the games.
“It’s a dream come true [to watch the NBA], I’ve always wanted to watch an NBA game. I’ve never had the opportunity to go to the USA and as they say, if you don’t go to Rome, Rome comes to you."
More than just relishing the experience of seeing the professionals in action, they also pointed to a wider anticipation around the basketball competition at the Olympics, with the gold medal game set to be staged in the same arena that hosted the NBA Paris Game.
“We’ll have the top stars. There will be LeBron James, who is going to come back for the last time, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry. Donovan Mitchell will also be there,” they continued.
“Honestly, it’s going to be the best year ever. And it’s going to happen in France, which is amazing.”
“Basketball culture here is dope. They're pretty big basketball fans here. You have so many talented players who made it to the NBA. Here, basketball is really a big thing” - Mikal Bridges on basketball in France, NBA Paris Game 2024
"There's a real philosophy behind it"
If there is any doubt about the fervour of the basketball audience in France, the confession of one basketball fan underlined the commitment of many:
“Don’t tell anyone, okay? But I go to bed super late. I admit maybe sometimes I overdo it but I try to as soon as I can when I have a free moment to watch [the NBA] late at night, or the replay often afterwards. But I try not to miss it, not even one game. Truly, I’m a hardcore fan.”
Watching the career arc of NBA legend Michael Jordan from the age of 10, they say, cemented them as a supporter for life.
“It really made me want to continue following the NBA. Obviously for the spectacle and the quality of the game and the personalities of the players. Because let's face it, these are players you have to follow and you want to follow them."
Being a close observer of the game, he also has had a unique position to watch the popularity of the NBA burgeon and basketball more generally too. That, he continued, has layers of benefits.
“It's great for sport in general. I think that from a very young age, kids are taught to appreciate the NBA, and, of course, it's also a spectator sport. We know that it brings in a lot of money, but I think that it also brings across values. There's a real philosophy behind it: team sport, community, teamwork. I think these are also important values and the NBA conveys them too, I think.
Another supporter agreed: “[The NBA] is taking up more and more space and you can see that in the level of basketball players and the level of recruits. It’s true that the world generally is more interested in basketball, from devoted fans to amateur players. It’s growing more and more and it’s a good thing. You find more and more players.”
“It's a wonderful time for French basketball"
2024 marks the second successive year, and third in total, that the NBA has played a regular season game in Paris. And for one fan the connection reflects France’s broader presence on the international sporting stage.
“It's well deserved,” they said about Paris’ role in hosting the NBA. “Because at the European level, without wishing to be arrogant, the French, we're still performing well in a very large number of sports. It’s a golden period for French sport.”
That sentiment, that there is something special about French sport and basketball right now was also one shared by many at the game. And with the Paris Olympics around the corner, the excitement for the convergence was tangible.
“We can't wait to see this team and how it develops. They're not used to playing together but I think they're great boys, they're great professionals, they're going to find their reflexes, they're going to be able to go very far I think,” one person.
Another talked about 20-year-old Wembanyama, the generational French talent that is drawing millions of eyeballs to the NBA and has underlined his commitment to France for the Olympics.
“I don’t think we’ve realised it yet because Wemby is at the very beginning. And it's true that, for me, having a French player in the MVP race happened once with Joakim Noah, but it was short-lived. So to have potentially a multiple MVP contender I hope it's going to launch future generations of fans,” they said before summing up the mood more generally around the men’s game.
“And the next Draft as well to see all these young guys arrive… And then there's the Olympics coming up too: it’s magnificent!
“It's a wonderful time for French basketball."