Back to NBA in Paris

A Parisian Pleasure

By Jolie Katzen, Journalism Senior

When I first got the acceptance letter for the NBA in Paris program, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Nothing sounded better than ending my college career experiencing a country hosting their second-ever NBA game.

I was also excited to head back to a city that I was already familiar with. I had already been to Paris twice – once with my grandma when I was 13, and once in Spring 2022 when I was studying abroad in Rome.

Sidi Diawara practices at Gymnase Cange in the 14th arrondissement of Paris (Photo by Ashley Hearn)

When brainstorming story topics, my partner Ashley Hearn and I thought it would be interesting to do a player profile on a Parisian player hoping to go to the NBA one day.

So, we contacted basketball leagues in Paris. A team, BasketParis14, put us in contact with one of their most promising young players, Sidi Diawara.

We met Diawara and his stepbrother when we arrived in Paris.

Although the language barrier was a challenge, this was probably my favorite experience of the program.

We learned more about Diawara’s life and relationship with basketball. Hearing his backstory was incredibly interesting. I can’t wait to see what he’ll accomplish in the future. Hopefully, one day I’ll be cheering him on in the NBA.

The Bulls and Pistons played the second-ever regular season NBA game in France at Accor Arena in Paris. (Photo by Jolie Katzen)

The whole purpose of our program was the fact that the Bulls were playing the Pistons in Paris, but the availability and prices of tickets took attending the game out of the question for me.

But I had some serious lucky girl syndrome at the welcome dinner on our first night. The digital content manager for the Chicago Bulls, CJC alumnus Nikko Tan, joined us. Nikko brought two tickets to be raffled off to the group, and despite my chronic bad luck, I somehow won one!

I am truly so grateful I was able to experience an NBA game abroad and see how the city reacted to hosting this event.

Though it wasn’t my first time in Paris, our guide Kristin brought us to some amazing places that made this visit completely different from my previous two. From the Stade de France to Roland-Garros, I got to see a whole other side to Paris; not just the classic touristy spots, but places I probably wouldn’t have visited on my own.

As a whole, this week in the French capital is one that I’ll certainly never forget. I have made some life-long friends and some incredible memories.