France and NBA unveil comprehensive plan to improve basketball in France and Africa

Paris French President Emmanuel Macron and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver today announced a comprehensive plan to work together on a range of initiatives to improve basketball in France and Africa at all levels. The French government and the NBA have formed a working group of senior-level executives to work with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) to further develop these plans and formally prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. We will be announcing our partnership. , basketball becomes a featured sport.

President Macron, Adam Silver, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, NBA Head of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and FFBB President Jean-Pierre Ciutat met yesterday in Paris ahead of the NBA Paris Game 2023 Presented by Nike. The champion Chicago Bulls and his three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons play his game in his second regular season of the league tonight in Paris at 9pm CET.

The French government and the NBA will work together on the following initiatives:

• The NBA and LNB, France’s top professional basketball league with current French star and top 2023 NBA Draft candidate Victor Wenbanyama, will help grow the LNB and its teams and deepen their engagement. , share best practices across team and league business and basketball operations. French fans. The NBA and LNB will also explore exhibition games and auxiliary events featuring teams and players from the NBA, LNB and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
• Leading up to the 2024 Summer Olympics, France and the NBA will bring the NBA experience directly to fans in Paris with grassroots basketball development programs, interactive fan events, player appearances and more.
• The NBA and FFBB will expand existing basketball development programs that have reached more than 250,000 French youth over the past decade, including the Junior NBA Challenge Benjamin (e) program.
• France and the NBA plan to further invest in basketball infrastructure in Africa, including multi-purpose facilities capable of hosting BAL and NBA games, to drive economic growth for communities across the continent.

“I am delighted and proud of the NBA’s choice to make France and Paris one of the world’s most privileged playgrounds,” said Emmanuel Macron. Reflecting the excellence of our training, the performance of our national team and the hosting of the Paris 2024 Games, we will go further and engage in a profitable and lasting partnership for the benefit of French basketball. This collaboration of our development policies in Africa will delight our basketball fans and practitioners and contribute to our project to make France a great sporting nation.”

president of france @EmmanuelMacron When @NBA Commissioner Adam Silver today announced a comprehensive plan to work together on various initiatives to improve basketball in France and Africa at all levels.

More ⬇️ https://t.co/V7v9wdX9Up

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 19, 2023

“It is a great honor to work with the NBA and build a partnership,” said Ciutat. Basketball in France is growing rapidly, and I think it’s time to move on to a higher level, and especially with the Olympic Games in Paris next year, there is momentum in our sport. We are very proud to announce our cooperation and would like to thank Adam Silver and President Macron for their support.”

“I am honored to work with President Macron, the French Basketball Federation and the LNB to ride on the tremendous momentum around basketball and the French NBA,” said Silver. “President Macron is a strong believer in the power of basketball to inspire and connect people around the world and sees great potential to grow the sport and promote economic opportunities in France and Africa.”

The NBA Paris Game 2023 Presented by Nike will air live at 9pm CET on beIN SPORTS, free-to-air Canal+ and NBA League Pass, reaching fans in over 200 countries and territories across TV, digital and social media. increase.

The NBA and the French Development Agency (AFD) are France’s comprehensive public development bank committed to funding and technical assistance for projects that improve the lives of people in developing and emerging countries. We are already working together to promote social inclusion in Africa. We build infrastructure and run youth basketball programs, events and initiatives in selected African countries.

With nine this season, France has more NBA players than any other country outside of North America.