Rare are the events where the stars are as much on the stage or the field as in the gallery. This is the case with the NBA in Paris. All of Paris and beyond met on Friday evening at the AccorHotels Arena, where the first regular season match in France will take place between Charlotte and Milwaukee.
The League itself dispatches its greatest ambassadors: Tony Parker, to whom it will pay tribute before kick-off, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former Milwaukee who was Bruce Lee's opponent in the cinema and stays with his 38 387 points the best scorer in NBA history. She is mostly represented by the King of Kings, the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan in person. Lovers of Paris and France, the legendary owner of the Hornets would have missed it for nothing in the world.
Mayer, Lavillenie and Pesquet also from the party
Next to them, the VIP basket is still plentiful and richly stocked. Before playing in Lille on Sunday, all PSG players take a basketball break this Friday. Before the NBA, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé or Marco Verratti who are announced become fans like the others. Parisian stars are not the only footballers expected: Didier Drogba, Éric Abidal and William Gallas are part of the guest list.
PSG will have other representatives with its handball players. Instead of playing a semi-final of the Euro in Sweden, they will be seated in the hall where they became world champions in 2017. Nikola and Luka Karabatic, Nedim Remili, Luc Abalo, Daniel Narcisse and Thierry Omeyer will not miss anything of the event. No more than Teddy Riner, Jean-Éric Vergne, Renaud Lavillenie or Kevin Mayer who is used to training with the Boston Celtics jersey on his back.
A big basketball fan, astronaut Thomas Pesquet has also reserved his place for a long time like the actors Éric Judor, close to Tony Parker, Franck Gastambide or DJ Cut Killer.
