The NBA returns to Europe with Bulls-Pistons in Paris in 2023
The Global Games returns to the NBA after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Paris will host the Bulls vs the Pistons.
The Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons will play a regular season game in Paris on 19 January 2023 - marking the NBA’s first game in Europe since 2020, the US basketball league confirmed today.
Under the title, “NBA Paris Game 2023″, the game will be played at Accor Arena between six-time champions the Bulls and the Pistons, who have won the ring on three occasions.
It will be the 12th game of the NBA season to take place in France and the first on the continent since 24 January 2020 - between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic.
DeMar DeRozan’s Bulls will compete in Paris for the third time in the franchise’s history; they played two games in the French capital in 1997. It will be a new experience for the Pistons, who will play on French soil for the first time. “It is a great honor to bring Chicago Bulls basketball back to Paris for The NBA Paris Game 2023 – an event that illustrates the league’s commitment to amplifying the national and global impact of basketball,” Bulls’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas said. “Having played several games in Paris during my career, I know how special this will be for our players, our organization, and our international fanbase. We look forward to representing Chicago overseas and are grateful for the opportunity to do so”.
“Welcoming the Bulls and Pistons to Paris for our second regular-season game will be a highlight for fans in France and across Europe, and with Paris hosting the Summer Olympics in 2024, basketball and the NBA are well-positioned for continued growth in France for years to come,”added Ralph Rivera, NBA Europe and Middle East managing director, in a statement.
The NBA will also organise a series of parallel activities especially for the fans, such as charity events through their foundation, ‘NBA Cares’.
Tickets for the game will go on sale to the general public at a later date, the NBA announced, giving interested fans time to register through their portal: http://nbaevents.com/ParisGame.