A month after having tested the Iberian clasico under the projectors of the Palau Blaugrana, it was impossible for us not to attend the first derby in the history of Paris Basketball. A little moment in history for one of the biggest projects in French basketball. Vincent Collet’s Metropolitans 92 are knocking on the door of the Halle Carpentier, who will answer them? Debrief.
At the foot of the large towers of Boulevard Masséna, the Halle Carpentier. A 5,009-seat room which, before becoming the home of Paris Basket Avenir in 2017, served the city’s various sports institutions in turn. The fencing world championships were held there in 2010, Paris Saint-Germain Handball used it for their Champions League matches in 2013 and JSF Nanterre played all their Euroleague matches there in 2013- 14. Today, it hosts the most controversial sports project in French basketball, that of Paris Basketball. A club born on July 12, 2018 and instantly propelled to Pro B, without having had to climb the ladder of the various amateur divisions. Here, a short tutorial to understand the spirit of the trick. The society Paris Basketball Investments actually bought the sporting rights of Hyères-Toulon, when the Var club descended from Pro A and declared bankruptcy at the same time. The man behind this project? David Kahn, president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009 to 2013, and the one who drafted Johnny Flynn in 6th position in the 2009 Draft. Why give this info? Because Stephen Curry was the 7th choice. In addition to this little blunder which only slightly changed the course of history in the NBA, David Kahn now aims to offer Parisians the team they deserve. « A composite project of a young workforce, mostly from Greater Paris”reads on the club’s website. Tonight, for the first derby in its history, « the project » will face the Metropolitans 92. Guided by the velleda of Vincent Collet, the neighbors of Levallois are first in the championship and have lost only twice this season. For Paris Basket, the sheriff’s star will necessarily go through an XXL performance.
It’s 7 p.m. We arrive in what looks like a gymnasium disguised as a US room. Difficult to hide that the building is not exclusively devoted to the orange ball. Some elements of the decor actually bring us back to the genesis of a good idea which is still laying its first stones. Some Pro B arenas – such as the Salle de la Trocadière in Nantes – greatly outclass the added facilities of the Halle Carpentier. Significant positive point, the lower stands allow a great proximity to the game : “People are standing, we can’t see anything”, released Lukas Nicot in the comments of the victory against ASVEL on November 6th. That day, the atmosphere was so crazy that many took a liking to the Paris Basket sauce, the one that integrates future or former NBA silhouettes, with the club’s European ambitions. A tomar from Ismaël Kamagate, a penetration from Juhann Begarin, the big shoulders from Kyle O’Quinn and the first from Axel Toupane, these highlights are – in addition to the victory – all the reasons why the spectators have come back to this Saturday January 15. A spectator explains to us that the Halle Carpentier will give way to Arena 2 in 2023, a room under construction and planned to accommodate… 8,000 spectators. It will also be used for several disciplines for the 2024 Olympic Games. This new lair is a good thing, which will also allow the cameramen assigned to the match broadcasts to change the water in the olives more often.
“Tribune” TV Halle Carpentier – photo TrashTalk
It’s 8 p.m., the game starts in 30 minutes. The stakes that weigh on this meeting are immense. Arrived in the capital a big week ago, Axel Toupane could not play last Sunday against Limoges. Helpless, the 2020 NBA champion witnessed the defeat of his family in civilian clothes. Paris Basket (5-10) is then fifteenth in the championship with a single defeat of the first relegated, and Jean-Christophe Prat is now counting on Axel Toupane to bring versatility and strong defense to his squad. Hey, what better than a derby against the former Paname team to raise the bar? In 2016, the town hall of Paris effectively stopped paying subsidies to the Paris-Levallois club. Why ? For lack of results, but above all to denounce its president, Jean-Pierre Aubry, close to Patrick Balkany and indicted. A situation deemed incompatible with the“Parisian ethical requirement”. Separated from the capital, the Paris-Levallois club was initially renamed the « Levallois Metropolitans », before being bought by a Boulogne-Billancourt company in 2018 to become the « Metropolitans 92 ». The whole institution will move to Boulogne-Billancourt by 2023, in order to play in the future Palais des Sports de Boulogne. That’s all for the moment Parisian basketball culture, which looks like a remake of Game of Thrones.
It’s 8:28 p.m. The atmosphere heats up, the room is plunged into darkness, the players are presented NBA style. Here, beautiful people: a month after Brad Stevens came to check on Juhann Begarin at the Halle Carpentier, it’s the turn of Mike Schmitz – scout for ESPN – to come and observe Ismaël Kamagate in anticipation of the next Draft. Maximum pressure.
Footage of Ismael Kamagate’s pregame workout yesterday in Paris. The 20-year-old French center has a lot of the ingredients you look for in a young big man prospect. pic.twitter.com/x9A0dPctmM
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) January 16, 2022
First info given to us by the in-between, there is a supporter kop. No sooner had the ball been sent into the heavens by the referee than about thirty young people – placed at the end of a side stand – started to fuck up a monster barouf. No fanfare or Bayonnaise harmony, and no Joe Dassin to tell us about Emilie’s eyes. For better or worse, it changes, everyone has their own opinion. However, it is important to keep this popular fiber that NBA franchises do not have.
“The spirit here is the ambitions, but we don’t forget where we come from either. That’s kind of why there’s the Kop. – a welcoming host
The first minutes of the meeting regrettably respect the hierarchy. Without shining, the Metropolitans 92 spin all the balls to Miralem Halilović who feasts on the defensive wanderings of the Parisian racket. Eaten to experience, Ismaël Kamagate commits three faults in just 5 minutes of play and joins the bench until… the third quarter. That, that fucks her badly in front of the scout Mike thing. But Kyle O’Quinn is no better than his young teammate and continues the lunar sequences. At each momentum of the pivot, the announcer requests the evacuation of the front row. The former Sixers seems so weighed down by the years that he struggles to control his body. It’s crazy, he who was still almost tripe-double in the Orlando bubble, “only” a year and a half ago. The good side of this nonchalant start on the Parisian side is the entry of Axel Toupane, used as a sixth man by Jean-Christophe Prat. The former Bucks sounded the revolt and quickly reversed the momentum: a first point on free throw, then a big participation – both defensive and offensive – in the game of his people. We are however a little disappointed with the transparency of Juhann Begarin, little sought after in attack and too often placed in his corner. The form of the Celtics player remains good, with a last game sheet at 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists against Limoges. Opposite, the awkwardness of the excellent backcourt Will Cummings – Keith Hornsby prevents the Metropolitans 92 from unfolding as usual. At intermission, the two teams are neck and neck. The match is not crazy (Paris Basket 35 – 33 Metropolitans 92).
AXEL TOUPANE x PARIS BASKETBALL ????
???? The first basket in #BetclicELITE of the NBA Champion ????@toups_33 x @ParisBasketball pic.twitter.com/0ydtBYhluG
— LNB (@LNBofficial) January 15, 2022
Back to business, awakening of the kop but also of… Juhann Begarin. With a big award-winning shot, the young guard confirms that Paris Basket can do more than annoy the leader. Opposite, the aggressiveness of Vince Hunter keeps the Metropolitans 92 in the game. Grizzlies fans may remember this boy who played 4 games with Memphis in 2017-18. Tonight, Vince can count on Miralem Halilović – his own Marc Gasol – to properly support him: “It is on the strength of convictions that success depends, not on the number of supporters”. The other Metropolitans indeed seem to have put on a good box the day before. But over the second half, the meeting escapes Vincent Collet’s men. A few minutes after coming into play, Ismaël Kamagate poses a very bitumen, very powerful, very warthog tomar on the counter-attack. Then, the party turns into a big mess when he repeats, this time on poor Vince Hunter, much too short to even contest the dunk. Of them highlights in transition, symbols of a mobility that makes people drool across the Atlantic. A mid-distance from Axel Toupane brings the gap to 11 units, before, as a good gravedigger for the Metropolitans, this same boss lands a big bombinette 3 minutes from time (Paris Basket 83 – 78 Metropolitans 92).
Game’s over.
PARDON ??? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????#BetclicELITE @iampaslong x @ParisBasketball pic.twitter.com/J8gN5an96A
— LNB (@LNBofficial) January 15, 2022
Well, even if effective in the second period, Kyle O’Quinn (14 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) voted man of the match by the LNB stinks of com. The guy who decided this must be the only one who didn’t eat a nudge on Saturday night. Axel Toupane’s premiere? 16 points at 50% shooting including 3/4 from the parking lot, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and an XXL defense. True X factor of this meeting, the former Santa Cruz Warriors has completely smoothed the game of Paris Basketball and should have – in our opinion – recovered this honor. Finally, the beautiful words of Jean-Christophe Prat in the post-match conference are worth much more than an old personalized trophy at Darty.
“Tonight, I am especially very proud for Axel because he made a choice that few players make. The NBA is a golden world and made him a strong choice, I think that’s great. Many do it at 32, 33 or 34, and to do it at 29 shows that he has ambition and wants to achieve things with this city. In September, he told me: “if there is a club in Europe that can bring me back, it’s Paris Basketball. “” – Jean-Christophe Prat, Paris Basketball coach
I see you @kyleallmanjr ???? https://t.co/sZdGcl7VAp
– Axel Toupane (@ toups_33) January 15, 2022
A great experience of a first derby at Paris Basketball, punctuated by an oh so important victory for David Kahn’s club. With 3 wins in their last 4 games, Axel Toupane’s new team finally seems to be on track as announced at the start of the season. Today, maintenance or nothing. Tomorrow, the Playoffs or nothing. Soon, the Euroleague or nothing?
