Hello from Paris, where I’m spending a month working from home and doing a variety of sports-related research and meetings.
The big news upon arrival was the FIBA 3X3 basketball European Cup championship, held throughout last weekend at the iconic Trocadéro, and what a vibrant vibe!
This was my first live 3X3 experience, and indeed my first sporting event since January 2020 when I was in town for the NBA Paris Global Game. While I was a little trepidatious about attending such an event, the fact that it was outside and that everyone had to clear COVID vaccination or testing protocols to gain entry helped ease me into our new “normalish” world.
If you haven’t attended a 3X3 tournament, I highly recommend rectifying that. The crowd was energetic, the music that plays during the games buoyant, and the players seemed to thrive from the amped-up atmosphere. The games themselves are fast-paced snacks that make catching multiple matchups to scout different styles an afternoon or evening’s endeavor.
Women’s Quarter-Final France vs Romania
Of course, being a major international tournament featuring national teams, the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup boasted a blend of sports diplomacy storylines.
It also raises the question: is the officialization of 3X3 a greater boost to the overall basketball discipline’s popularity (i.e. being more inclusive and diverse demographics-wise) OR to provide ways for “smaller” countries, who don’t have the financial, infrastructure, or demographic resources to be competitive at the top rungs of 5X5, a way to shine internationally?
Men’s Semi-Final Serbia vs Russia