Mikal Bridges #1 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles as Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defends during the first half at Barclays Center on March 23, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday that the Brooklyn Nets will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the ‘Paris Game’ in the upcoming season.
The game will be played at the Accor Arena in Bercy on January 11.
The Nets played in Paris in 2008 when they were still based in New Jersey. They faced the Miami Heat at Bercy and three days later in London, winning both games.
The Cavaliers will be playing their first game in Europe.
The Nets finished fourth in the East last season but were upset by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.
“Our players and coaches will benefit greatly from the experience of immersing themselves in Paris’s rich culture off the court,” Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks said in the NBA press release.
Cleveland finished fourth in the East but was upset by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.
“This unique opportunity will provide our players, coaches, staff and families an experience into a different culture,” said Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman.
There have been more than 40 NBA players from France, more than from any other country outside North America.
The top pick in the recent draft was Frenchman Victor Wembanyama who was taken by the San Antonio Spurs.