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PARIS (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a conference in Paris this week and was asked by his gracious host how he likes his coffee.
“Unsucre?” asked French President Emmanuel Macron.
Over that coffee, the NBA leader and the French leader struck a deal to work together in hopes of continuing to grow the game of basketball internationally. We are about 18 months away from the NBA and the Paris Olympics.
The NBA announced several details on Thursday, including a collaboration between the league and LNB, France’s top professional league. An event where France and the NBA collaborate as part of the strengthening towards Paris 2024. Expansion of youth programs. Additional efforts towards growing the game in Africa. Both the league and France have committed further investments, including facilities capable of hosting Basketball Africa League matches.
“His belief is very much in line with the NBA’s belief in the power of sport to bring people together and how constructive it can be, and even as a global engine that creates commonality and empathy among people. I think it’s very similar to,” Silver said.
Silver said Macron happened to be scheduled to coincide with a BAL game when he visited Rwanda for the league’s first play-off. President Macron attended the game with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
“He is familiar with all of our global plans, especially in Africa,” Silver said.
President Macron had another pressing issue this week. At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities on Thursday amid a nationwide strike against plans to raise the retirement age, but Macron met with Silver in Paris on Wednesday and heads of France and Spain in Barcelona. attended the meeting. Thursday — He said he would push through proposed pension reforms.
Basketball was probably just a temporary pastime.
“I am delighted and proud of the NBA’s choice to make France and Paris one of the world’s most privileged playgrounds,” said President Macron. The excellence of our training, the performance of the national team and the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 give us the opportunity to go further and forge profitable and lasting partnerships for the benefit of French basketball. to support our development policies in Africa.”
Silver said the NBA is in the process of planning another game in Paris next year. He spoke with Wenbanyama and his family sitting courtside on Thursday just before a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons.
Silver and Macron also discussed plans for Paris 2024, including how the current schedule calls for qualifying matches in Lille, about 140 miles north of Paris. That decision was not final and has been the subject of some criticism given basketball’s high profile on the Olympic program.
“He promised us that everything would be fine,” Silver said.
Other topics covered by Silver on Thursday include:
labor contract
Silver and National Basketball Players Association executive director Tamika Tremaglio were in Paris this week, while talks between the league and the union continued in New York.
“Our colleagues are back in New York and negotiating as we speak,” Silver said. “They’ve been meeting him all week, going issue by issue, trying to solve the issues that keep us apart. But I think we’re starting from a very strong foundation. “
The NBA and its players have until February 8th if either side wants to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement. No wonder.
“There is a strong sense of partnership between the players and the league,” Silver said. “That doesn’t mean there are no disagreements.”
Among the issues the NBA and NBPA have been talking about in recent weeks is a return to allowing players to enter the draft immediately after high school rather than waiting a year. He is expected to be included in the CBA following this move. is considering a “spending cap” that will significantly tighten the rules on how much teams can spend on their rosters each year.
lebron record
With LeBron James just two weeks away from capturing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s career scoring leader, Silver reveals some of the ideas the league is considering to pay tribute to the accomplishment Did.
“There is no doubt that we will stop that game and make sure we record history, balls, baskets and uniforms,” Silver said. At the same time, there’s the balance of being undistracted that night and playing against a team that really wants to win. ”
James is on record-breaking pace in early February, and if so, the bigger celebration Silver spoke of is likely at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City later that month. .
return to normal
The last time the NBA played in Paris before Thursday was in January 2020, just two months before the league shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I actually remember when we were here in January 2020 and started seeing people wearing masks. People knew something was coming,” said Silver. said. “At the time, no one predicted that the world would shut down and we would continue to play in a bubble. Of course, our hope was that we booked that pandemic and the worst has passed. We. I hope so.”
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