“We are the champions, we are the champions”… Party until the end of the night!
A few hours after winning the Leaders Cup, Sunday evening at the end of a thrilling final against Nanterre (90-85) in Saint-Chamond, the Paris Basketball players were still determined to celebrate their title.
The first in the recent history of the basketball club, born during the summer of 2018 and which inaugurated its new arena at Porte de la Chapelle the previous week.
If the festivities began at the buzzer on the floor of the Arena Saint-Étienne Métropole, they continued for a long time.
During the entire return trip... carried out exceptionally by coach due to the SNCF strike.
Impossible for the Finnish Tuomas Iisalo's players to sleep.
We can't sleep and you?
pic.twitter.com/jAuJlGo7X6
— Paris Basketball (@ParisBasketball) February 19, 2024
Around one o'clock in the morning, when their bus stopped at a rest area in Côte-d'Or, the euphoria had not yet subsided.
Parisians then took the opportunity to wake up certain motorists and set the mood.
Led by the inevitable TJ Shorts, the Ile-de-France heroes entered the still open store singing “we are the champions” by Queen and proudly brandishing their precious trophy.
Some players immortalized the scene on their cell phones.
The show lasted around twenty minutes.
A joy published quickly on the X network (formerly Twitter).
The Macedonian playmaker of American origin, voted MVP of the Leaders Cup, also showed his talents as a singer and showman.
He then posed with Sebastian Herrera and Justin Simon.
Only the internationals - including French leader Nadir Hifi -, who stayed to sleep in Saint-Chamond before joining their respective selections, missed the festivities.
But they were able to follow them from a distance.
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The club actually commented on this night out with a “We’re not sleeping, are you?”
» addressed to all their supporters, who follow their return on social networks and who did not fail to respond.
Upon arrival at The One Ball, their training center in Noisy-le-Grand, at 4:30 a.m. most of the players were still singing.
The playlist consisted of French and American rap.
The coach had waited for this moment to tell them that they were off until Thursday.
Provoking new jubilation…
By winning the Leaders Cup, Paris Basketball unlocked its trophy counter.
Above all, he sent a message to all his opponents: they will have to count on him for the champion title at the end of the season.