To the Adidas Arena,
The evening ended with blood sausage. A third defeat in a row, the second in a row in the Euroleague, Tiago Splitter, the Parisian coach, who fell from his chair upon arriving at a press conference and the “false supporters, false supporters” who came down from the Parisii kop at the moment some spectators at the Adidas Arena set sail a few moments before the buzzer, the defeat (85-96) against Real Madrid confirmed on Tuesday evening.
The “fake supporters” are perhaps the price of glory for Paris Basket which is bursting all over its path this season, notably with ten victories in a row in the Euroleague and a second place in Betclic Elite (the Pro A for aesthetes). Good results inevitably bring a new audience, eager to join everything that shines, especially in Paris, and who are not necessarily unconditional Basketball fans.
So, behind the Parisii kop, apart from a monstrous counterattack before half-time, a prize-winning basket from Nadir Hifi to pick up in the last quarter and a few arabesques from Maodo Lô, the 7,748 spectators who came to the door of the Chapel were were rather well-behaved, far from the overexcited atmospheres that can be found in Greece, Serbia or Turkey. It must be said that the Merengue, who are not yet having their best season, also helped to calm down all these beautiful people.
“Create a singularity”
“It’s always been like that at Paris Basket, even at Halle Carpentier [la salle où jouait le club avant d’arriver à la Adidas Arena en février dernier]even in Pro B, people came a little out of curiosity, some discovered it, explains Dandy Guel, MC of Paris Basket. Because, whatever people say, basketball is not yet the number 1 sport in France. Even if all the basketball purists come, it won’t fill the room. So there will always be a new audience. And you really have to create your uniqueness among all that. »
So, to create this uniqueness, don’t talk too much about the NBA model for Paris Basket. Even if the president, David Khan, was director of operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves or a member of the staff of the Indiana Pacers, even if “fan cams” scan the public during timeouts, even if there is big American sound in the arena, Paris wants its own identity and not a copy/paste of what is done on the other side of the Atlantic.
“David Khan, with the management, pays particular attention to the fan experience, because that is where he also has an area of expertise that few have,” a member of the club tells us. He was able to see a lot of things in the NBA, but at the same time, he wants us to differentiate ourselves from this League. He doesn’t want us to be on the same line at all. If we keep certain codes, we must adapt them to our Paris Basketball atmosphere. »
Balzer, Yame et Mister V
Paris atmosphere, you said? So it begins with the Parisii kop, which sings “Assassins” in chorus at each fault of the opponent or “Return to the hairdresser”, funny when you have the hair of Hifi or Ward in your team, to a Madrilenian who had dared to wear a mullet a little too long. It also continues behind the decks, with DJ Ashty. “We are Paris and obviously it is a city which has very different codes. I try to keep a Parisian identity, he assures us. We’re trying to really push the music that comes from Paris. I think it fits well with this Paris Basket DNA. »
Against Real Madrid, we were able to hear Gims, Genezio, Yame (thanks Shazam) at full blast. The latter was also present at the edge of the floor, just like Mister V (partner of the club through his Pizza Delamama brand) or Sara Balzer. The double Olympic saber medalist was even celebrated during a timeout in the central circle, accompanied by Parade by Victor Le Masne to remind us of the good times as a bonus.
And when it is not the rappers who come to Paris Basket, it is Paris Basket which comes to the rappers, like Nadir Hifi, present at the Flames ceremony, which rewards popular cultures, to present a prize . The next step is to see the name of the ringleader in the rich rhymes of a verse from the future gold record. And given what he and his little friends offer on the ground, we have never been so close.
Automatic watering
Because on the floor, the Parisians have also created their own identity, far from what can traditionally be done in the Euroleague. In line with what they offered with Tuomas Lisalo, today assistant coach at the Memphis Grizzlies, Nadir Hifi’s teammates offer a game that is all fire, all flame, even if it means spraying at all costs from long distance, like against the Real (11 of 38 from three points).
« We were a little fearful of the departure of Tuomas who installed this game that was a little quick, a little crazy, a member of the club tells us. We know that guys like Tiago Splitter all have big egos and we wondered if he wasn’t going to arrive and want to impose himself directly, to show that he is there. OK we feel that he is there, but he has also adapted to what happened before, he is in continuity. And that’s to his credit in fact. Because suddenly, it works. »
Yes, it works, even if the defeat against Real Madrid hampered the machine a little. Like the virus which affected part of the squad, including the best player, TJ Shorts, at the start of the week. Tiago Splitter wondered if it could be food poisoning. A food problem? We’re in Paris, let’s see, not in the United States. There is an identity to respect.
