“It is for this type of match that Paris Basketball exists and that we wanted to be in the Euroleague. » The message from Amara Sy, the sports director of the Parisian club, is clear. It’s an evening of basketball for history which is looming this Tuesday (8:30 p.m., live on Skweek) in the capital. Paris Basketball hosts Panathinaikos Athens for the third day of the Euroleague, in other words the most prestigious event in European basketball.
The reigning European champion club is traveling to the banks of the Seine with an impressive armada. “This is the team that is for me the favorite in the Euroleague and in its own succession at this time,” considers Amara Sy. I watched their last match against Bayern (94-79), and it was very strong. Its squad is incredible, first and foremost our national Mathias Lessort. » Besides the Frenchman, the “Pana” also arrives with former NBA big names like the Spaniard Juan Hernangomez (ex-Denver…) or Kostas Antetokounmpo, Giannis’ brother.
A little more than two months after the Olympic final, Mathias Lessort, the former Nanterre midfielder (2016-2017), is the first Olympic vice-champion to return to play in France apart from Nando de Colo and Matthew Strazel with the Asvel and Monaco. There will be others in the season: Isaïa Cordinier with Bologna or Evan Fournier with Olympiakos not to mention Victor Wembanyama in January with the Spurs for two NBA games.
Except that Lessort returns to the land of Olympic “exploits”: the gala poster against “Pana” is in fact relocated to the Accor Arena, where the final phase of the Games took place and in particular the final against Team USA (87-98). This return alone adds spice to this evening which already promises to be wonderful. “Before the first half-time ball,” continues Amara Sy, “Panathinaikos is clearly the favorite of the match, that’s obvious. But there is no question of us leaving beaten in advance otherwise we will not play and we will stay at home. It’s still basketball, we’re going to give it our all and give everything. »
Beaten by Red Star Belgrade (80-77) and Milan (79-74), Paris is still empty-handed in the big leagues. But he is doing well for the moment. “When we arrived in Betclic Elite (2021), we lost our first five matches,” remembers the former French champion. Nothing was easy. Three years later, we reached the final of the French Championship. We hope for the same kind of progression in the Euroleague by continuing to learn. »
Paris will have to learn quickly. From Thursday, the partners of TJ Shorts will play in Munich against Bayern then against Nanterre on Sunday in the championship, still at the Accor Arena. Welcome to infernal cadences.
