First time in Europe after the pandemic. The Bulls are back in the French capital: the last time there was Jordan and it was unforgettable
Back to Europe. Three years after the last time, the NBA is ready to resume the tradition of regular season matches in the Old Continent: as before Covid, Paris will be the reference point for fans, with the French capital hosting on January 19, 2023 Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons. “Welcoming the Bulls and Pistons to Paris for the second regular season game ever will be an important moment for fans in France and the rest of Europe,” said Ralph Rivera, NBA manager in the Old Continent. Tickets for the Accur Arena match are not yet available: those interested can register at this link to receive information and pre-sales.
the return
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The NBA had been missing from Europe since January 2020, when the first regular season match ever in France was played in Paris between Milwaukee and Charlotte. Paris “took over” the venue of the event from London, where the league had landed for the first time in 2011 by playing a regular season game every January continuously from 2013 to 2019. In Paris 2020, commissioner Silver anticipated that the NBA project was to bring a second regular season game to Europe, with London as the first idea for expansion, but Covid has put plans on hold and forced a three-year hiatus. The NBA will resume travel in preseason 2022, with Golden State and Washington playing two games in Japan and Milwaukee and Atlanta competing twice in Abu Dhabi. The trip to Paris will be a return to France for the Chicago Bulls: they had been there for the 1997 preseason, the one that preceded The Last Dance, with Michael Jordan welcomed as a king. “I have played several games in Paris during my career: I know how special this match will be for our players, our team and for our many fans around the world,” said Arturas Karnisovas, the plenipotentiary of the Bulls. For Detroit it will be the first time in France but the third in the regular season abroad, after the experiences in London in 2013 and Mexico City in 2019. “Playing a regular season game in Paris will be a great experience for our players and our team: we can’t wait to show our international fans the style of the Pistons, ”said Troy Weaver, Pistons full grandson.
the event
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The return of the regular season in Europe is an important step forward for the NBA and for all the fans of the Old Continent. The matches in London first and then Paris had become a real point of reference for fans from all over Europe, for once able to see a match live without having to cross the Atlantic. The return of the regular season in Paris also marks a return to normal after the years of forced stop for Covid: the idea before the pandemic was to continue European expansion by bringing more games. Returning to Paris, with which the league had signed a multi-year contract, is the first step to resume that path.
May 24, 2022 (change May 24, 2022 | 17:29)
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