Allez les gray!
The Brooklyn Nets spent this week in Paris, France leading up to today’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After staying 20 points behind for a good portion of the game, the Nets trimmed that gap, scoring 48 points in the last quarter — almost the same amount of points they had in all the first three — and ending the game with a 102 to 111, giving the Cavaliers another victory.
This is the second straight year a regular season NBA game has been held at Accor Arena in Paris and the third overall in France.
According to officials, the league goes abroad to give foreign fans the chance to experience a bout of basketball in the flesh. The NBA estimated that it would see fans from 51 countries and 14 U.S. states at the Jan. 11 game, according to reporting from Sportico.
France is also an important market for American basketball. There are 47 French players in the league this season, only topped by Canada with 62 players, followed by Nigeria and Serbia with over 30 each.
Four players from France were drafted last year, and a record of 14 rookies were on the roster this season, including the first draft, San Antonio’s Spur new sensation, Victor Wembanyama.
But that’s not all for Paris when it comes to sports. The City of Lights will host the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games starting on July 26 through Aug. 11. Athletes and spectators should get ready for a “spectacular” opening ceremony, according to the games’ official site, and an audience of over half a million people are expected to tune in.
As for the NBA’s current trip abroad, today’s game was the main event — but the party continues. Brooklyn will continue to bring its best to Paris in the coming days with festivities and experiences for Parisians to get a taste of the borough.
And Parisians certainly have a taste for it: an orchestra tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. was completely sold out.
The Nets faced the Cavaliers back home at Barclays, in their first game of the season, with a fan-packed arena. A last-minute, one-point difference market the Nets defeat. The two teams will meat again on Feb. 8 and March 10.
