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Rudy Gobert: So I have a small apartment in Paris. So in the summer, I try to spend a lot of time in France too, because it’s the only time when I can really do it. But I also really like it there. I still have the house in Utah, so I have everything I need there. I have a half basketball court, a weight room, a pool. Before every season, I spend a few weeks in Utah.” Interviewer: “Okay. Because of the altitude too?” Rudy Gobert: “Yeah. So, for the oxygen…” Interviewer: “You’re always chasing performance, even on vacation.” Rudy Gobert: “Well, listen, I’m teasing, but yes, it’s true. That’s it. I really appreciate the place already, but on top of that, the fact that there are benefits that help me with my performance, my career, and my longevity—well, it’s all upside. It’s important.”
According to the French newspaper “L’Equipe”, PSG and QSI are expected to submit a bid to get an NBA Europe franchise. The company confirmed that it is working “positively and actively” on submitting a bid without giving any other details. This is a development that can’t be considered surprising, since the NBA has long made Paris a priority in its European plans, and even recently, PSG minority owner Kevin Durant discussed the matter.
Maxime Aubin: The funny thing is that he’s become such a big star that everything he does, and everything he doesn’t do, creates headlines. As a reporter, it’s interesting to see readers reach out to me. A lot of them say he’s amazing, he’s French, and they’re proud of him. But there are also a lot of people in France who still say, ‘This guy has done nothing in basketball. Where is this hype coming from? Why? He hasn’t won anything.’ That comes back every time. I think it’s part of the star system, because he’s already huge. At the same time, it’s also part of French culture: the criticism, the idea of saying, ‘Don’t do too much. Don’t become that big of a star yet.’ So yeah, it’s interesting to watch, because a lot of people still criticize him.” Host: “So there are French haters. There are haters in France, basically.” Maxime Aubin: “A lot. I actually think there are even more in France than in the U.S.”
RC Buford: “I think it was it wasn't intentional just on France. I think it was more intentional in 1999 when 97 we get Tim Duncan. We already had David Robinson. We won our first championship in 1999 and we believed that we were going to be good for a while while those guys were going to play together. And that being the case, we needed to we were going to draft at the end of the first round. And if we were drafting at the end of the first round and we were just watching American college players, we'd be drafting a player that 25 other teams would have passed on. And so we became intentional about let's get in gyms where other people aren't and start looking for players differently than maybe the league was at the time. And it really fit the way Pop wanted to coach. He wanted to team build with a very internationally diverse group of people so that we could all learn together."
Silver wants to put new teams in London, Paris, Rome, and Manchester, England, backed by soccer giants and the biggest investment funds in the world (the Saudi PIF has expressed interest). Existing clubs with similar financial backing are being targeted in Barcelona and Madrid, in Milan, in Athens and Istanbul, Berlin and Munich, and Lyon, France. If Silver is (and in all likelihood, he will be) successful in bringing this new league on line, current NBA players said, overwhelmingly, they would consider, some day, playing in NBA Europe. “Yeah, it would interest me a little bit. I think that’s pretty cool,” said Charlotte rookie and Rising Star Kon Knueppel.
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Maxime Aubin: Victor Wembanyama told @SoFrenchProd he plans to join Team France this summer for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers (July 3-6, then Aug. 24-Sept. 1): “Of course, that’s absolutely my goal,” Wemby said. “But I hope I won’t be able to make the first window — that would mean we went all the way to the NBA Finals. I hope the timing will be too tight (smiles). But for the August window, absolutely. That’s my goal to be there. Knock on wood, if I’m healthy.”
"Our idea is to create this league – call it 12 to 16 teams – with the biggest countries having permanent franchises. Call it the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy, or France. Two teams in each one of those markets that we know with certainty will have franchises there, and then we'll open it up to the rest of the ecosystem."
Investment firm Qatar Sports Investments, which owns soccer giant Paris St. Germain, has been linked to Silver’s venture for Paris and is just one of the groups interested in either partnering with existing basketball clubs or starting new teams in targeted cities. According to league sources, investment groups with ownership of five percent or less of an NBA team will be permitted to own an NBA Europe team.
Representatives from Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, two soccer and basketball heavyweights, Olimpia Milano, Panathinaikos, ASVEL, Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin were participants, signaling their interest in joining NBA Europe. NBA officials met privately with Fenerbahce, a top European team from Istanbul, last week in Berlin. Additionally, representatives from English soccer giant Manchester City were there, as were executives from Italian soccer powerhouse AC Milan, signaling their intent to either create new teams in their cities or invest further in existing teams.
According to L’Équipe, Adam Silver is considering PSG the main option in Paris for the project. “They play at the highest level of competition (in soccer), and they have the know-how to operate a basketball club at the highest level, if they’re interested. Yes, it’s a club we’re talking to,” the NBA commissioner commented in a roundtable in London on Saturday.
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Mark Tatum, Adam Silver’s second hand, emphasized the desire of being in Paris for NBA Europe. “Paris is a market we absolutely want to be in,” he said. “There’s their ability to create a brand, a culture, their association with the Jordan brand (Michael Jordan’s), which is linked to basketball. We’re looking for the right partners for our project, and PSG brings a very interesting level of expertise in terms of marketing, promotion, and building a global brand.”, Tatum commented.
Jared Weiss: Victor Wembanyama learned Tuesday morning that his grandmother has passed away in France, a team source told @TheAthletic . Wembanyama was in tears during his post-game press conference and said, "I'm sorry, I lost somebody today."
Iisalo tagged up when he led teams in Germany and France before coming to the NBA. He’s implemented many of those concepts in his new home. The Grizzlies send at least three crashers to the glass on 18.8 percent of their shots, the fourth-highest frequency in the league. “It’s very hard to get into the low 120s in offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) without the offensive rebounding,” Iisalo said. “That’s what it takes to be an elite offensive team nowadays.”
Former NBA champion and EuroLeague big man, 36-year-old Serge Ibaka, remains a free agent to begin the 2025–26 season. Despite his free-agent status at this point of the season, Ibaka is staying in shape and is currently practicing with the French third-division team Levallois Metropolitans, awaiting a new opportunity to continue his career.