Wherever the Chicago Bulls go in Paris, excitement follows them.
“I can’t understand what they’re talking about, but it seems like there are groups and crowds of people,” coach Billy Donovan told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The Bulls have been checking off every tourist’s list of landmarks during their first three days in Paris: a trip to the Eiffel Tower, lots of wine, and even a glimpse of Fashion Week. The team also participated in a girls’ basketball clinic on Wednesday in the Paris area.
“These kids don’t get to see us in person as much, so it’s great for them and great for us,” center Nikola Vučević said. “It means a lot to them and we try to give back as much as we can, hang out when we can.”
But by Wednesday, the team’s focus had returned to basketball. With a 20-24 record, the Bulls have a lot on the line when they face the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at Accor Arena.
In the midst of a competitive Eastern Conference filled with jockeying for the last over-the-line playoff spot, every game counts for the Bulls, even if it takes place half a world away.
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The Pistons nearly took down a man in Paris after 19-year-old center Jalen Duren misplaced his passport before the team took off from Detroit.
Duren was not with the Pistons when they arrived Monday because he was not allowed on the team’s charter flight. The Athletic reported that the Pistons were working on getting Duren to take a new flight on Tuesday. He finally arrived and rejoined the team on Wednesday, just in time for Thursday’s game.
The Bulls arrived in Paris amid the hubbub of Fashion Week, which runs from January 17-22, and were unveiled in a fitting collaboration between the team and Off-White, a fashion house created by the Revolutionary designer and Chicago native, Virgil Abloh.
Abloh founded Off-White in 2013. After his death in 2021, his legacy has lived on with the connection between high fashion brands and streetwear styles.
With the help of Abloh’s family, the brand partnered with the Bulls to honor their love of Chicago sports with a new series of Bulls designs for Off-White’s 10th anniversary. The entire Bulls roster received new Off-White Bulls varsity jackets created by Chicago native and streetwear designer Don C.
Regardless of Thursday’s result, at least one Bulls player will return home from Paris with a “W.”
Backup forward Derrick Jones Jr. took the opportunity during a dinner for players, coaches, family and friends to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Shakara. Jones received an immediate and emphatic “Hell yeah.”
Source: news.google.com