The NBA will mark its return to France on Thursday after a three-year absence with Eastern Conference teams – the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons – squaring up against each other at the Accor Arena.
The 20,000-capacity Arena played host to the first NBA regular season game in France when the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 116-103 in January 2020.
Although the NBA has played many regular season games outside the United States since 1990, the Paris Game 2023 will be the first NBA game played in Europe since 2020.
Chicago Bulls
Six-time champions the Chicago Bulls will be playing for the third time in Paris after two preseason games in 1997 during their legendary “three-peat” era.
The Bulls have an excellent group of players, consisting of five-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who is presently out with a quad strain; two-time NBA Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine; and Montenegrin superstar Nikola Vucevic.
Vucevic tied his career high with 42 points in an impressive 132-118 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, January 15, to break an 11-game losing streak against the 2022 NBA champions.
With 20 wins and 24 losses, including three losses in their previous five games, they presently hold the final play-in spot at 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Detroit Pistons
On the other hand, three-time champions Detroit Pistons will be playing in the City of Light for the first time, having played just two other regular season games outside of the United States; London in 2013 and Mexico City in 2019.
The ninth youngest team in the league this season, the Pistons boast of a lot of up-and-coming stars including 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham, who they are currently without due to a season-ending surgery on his injured shin.
The Paris Game 2023 will mark the return of French-American youngster Killian Hayes to the country that made him. Although born in the United States, the 21-year-old grew up in Cholet, a small community in France, while his father was still an active basketball player.
Hayes will be surrounded by other young players including Jalen Duren, the league’s youngest player this season, Jaden Ivey, the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2022, and Saddiq Bey.
The Pistons are 14th in the Eastern Conference with 12 wins and 35 losses, the most of any team this regular season.
Afrosport TV will be showing the game at the Accor Arena LIVE across Nigeria at 9pm WAT, and you can watch it on Channel 730 on Free TV or stream online via Vidivu
