The NBA is making strides to expand the international reach of basketball. The Chicago Bulls made his second NBA international game since 2020 on January 19 against the Detroit Pistons at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.
The NBA has impacted nearly 20,000 young people in France through NBA Cares. The organization carried out various charitable activities throughout France. Bulls and Pistons staff and players ran free basketball clinics that put smiles on the faces of French children.
Games around the world not only provide international exposure, but also foster relationships with European parties in hopes of continuing the globalization of the NBA.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with French President Emmanuel Macron the day before the game. The meeting resulted in newly formed partnerships, including working directly with French federations and leagues to further develop the commercialization of basketball in France. Both parties want to bring people together to express basketball’s core values of teaching young people the importance of discipline, respect and teamwork.