The NBA is returning to Paris. This time, it’s the six-time champions, Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons who will do battle in the French capital at the Accor Arena on 19 January.
NBA is back in Paris
The game marks the NBA’s first return to Europe since January 2020 when Paris also hosted the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets. There will be plenty for French fans to feast upon when the Pistons take on the Bulls not least the homecoming of their star Killian Hayes. It’s an appropriate destination for the Bulls, given the relationship of one of their legends with the city.
“I used to go there a lot. Paris is a place where I could just walk down the street, sit down, and dine or eat or do whatever I wanted without anyone paying attention to me. I loved it. Staying out there, not being inside at all. Just watching the people,”
NBA legend Michael Jordan
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From 1997 to 2023, a lot has happened in the NBA. One thing that remains is Jordan’s legacy. And the Bulls, because of it, are a beloved and revered team. They are one of the chosen two in the return of the world’s best basketball league to Europe, on the occasion of the NBA Paris Game. They will face the Detroit Pistons because history is like that. Irreconcilable enemies in the 80s and 90s.
However, much has changed since then. Jordan is a symbol of a team that wants to compete. DeMar DeRozan lands in the French capital wanting a ticket to the postseason. At his side are figures like Nikola Vucevic, who scored 43 points against the Warriors not long ago, or Zach Lavine. Detroit leaves something to be desired. Cade Cunningham’s injury shaped their course, and hope is given by Jaden Ivey and Bojan Bogdanovic. They will go to Paris to build and not to sink more.
