NBA Jamthe return. Or almost. The Grande Ligue is stopping in Paris this week with, in addition to the Spurs and the Pacers in its suitcases, a concept never before presented as part of its Parisian meetings: an “NBA Paris Jam”, scheduled this Friday between the two NBA meetings, a unique celebrity match for fans.
For the latter, it would be the promise “ take part in an interactive celebration of basketball, the NBA and popular culture », to use the words of a representative of the league in Europe, when its partner Revolut speaks of “ merge[er] the worlds of sport and entertainment “.
This idea of bringing the two worlds together does not date from this 2025 edition of the “NBA Paris Games”. A bit like what has been practiced for years at the Parc des Princes with the PSG VIP square, these relocated regular season matches are an annual opportunity for stars of sport, music or showbiz to show off. A concept as old as television.
A bunch of YouTubers
Last year, in the first row alongside MMA star Ciryl Gane, for example, there were the trio of YouTubers, among the most followed in the country, Squeezie (19.3 million subscribers), Mister V (6.4 million) and Mastu (6.5 million). Léna Situations (2.9 million) or Domingo (960,000) were also there.
Whether they are fans of the discipline, like Mister V, or not, seems to have little importance. But what interest does a brand as powerful as the NBA, particularly well established in France, have in calling on these influencers? For Vincent Manilève, an independent journalist specializing in web culture, their presence obviously goes beyond just basketball.
“ Influencers are the new stars, comparable to actors, rappers… Or even they are above them in terms of notoriety. The presence of a creator is an almost guaranteed guarantee of content on their social networks, at least one “story” to thank the brand that invited them. A Natoo story has much more “brand awareness” weight (notoriety)”, analyzes the specialist.
Weight and credibility » according to Gwarlann de Kerviler, associate professor of Marketing at IÉSEG School of Management. The creator could, for example, indirectly tell his audience: “ This is where you need to be, where it matters. » « It's more authentic and credible with a closer word than if the NBA or a star says it. The interest is thus to go capture the influencer's audience, which is not necessarily their usual audience », summarizes the teacher-researcher.
Tell the story differently
The latter also highlights the notion of “ creativity » which sticks to influencers: “ The creative approach interests the brand, it is a new way of talking about it, its matches, of telling the story. »
The presence of Léna Situations could, for example, bring a touch of more glamorous » to the event by drawing attention to it among a community that does not necessarily have an appetite for basketball and its NBA brand. Even if it means annoying “purist” fans who couldn’t get a ticket for the matches?
“ I totally agree with the audience being potentially embarrassed or frustrated. If I were the 16-year-old Yvick in Grenoble, I would be the first to be outraged and to make a fuss on Twitter. Now, from Tissot's point of view (editor’s note: “title” partner of the event and official timekeeper of the NBA since 2015) who invests a lot of money and wants a return on investment, that's normal. It’s a bit like the game of capitalism! If I do an event, I bring people, brands… It’s the world of entertainment and showbiz. It's more complicated than putting enthusiasts first », entrusts to BasketUSA Mister V.
The latter, who says he understands both “ camps ”, also reports that Squeezie “ is much more passionate about basketball » since last year's Paris meeting. During his visit to Los Angeles a few weeks later, the content creator attended Lakers and Clippers matches.
Mister V refused the NBA Jam
Feeling “ legitimate » there, “Yvick” will be present again this season at the Accor Arena in Bercy, for one of the two meetings. However, he did not follow up on the invitation to the NBA Jam. “ I said I wasn't interested. It's a match that people will watch with second degree, it's not just what I want to do », defends the thirty-year-old, where other creators will find it more difficult to refuse to offer themselves such an exhibition.
Because as Gwarlann de Kerviler says, “ there are few elected officials. By being spotted by the NBA with privileged access to this event, we differentiate ourselves, we are credible. It's a moment of life that's out of the ordinary, something quite powerful to tell. Which is interesting for the influencer in terms of audience and expansion of their community. This is important for its strength, its legitimacy. »
It's also an opportunity for the creator to generate opportunities for future collaborations, whether with the NBA itself, or by networking with other influencers. Win-win. The marriage between the two universes therefore has every reason to be lasting and to develop, like the partnership established between Mister V and Paris Basketball.
But be careful, it is essential that this association be authentic, otherwise knowledgeable fans will very quickly detect it. If it is, we can be extremely creative. This mix between sport and entertainment is one of the development options for sports brands », Judge Jérôme de Chaunac, deputy general director in charge of revenues of the Parisian club.
“ Everything binds us in fact, it's natural and it's good that it's done because it allows the public and young people to bond and have even more affect. », adds Mister V. When Vincent Manilève also notes that “ environments are merging. Léon Marchand recently did an hour of streaming with Squeezie. This offers a 'safe' framework where we will not bother the personality with 'journalist questions'. The movement is establishing itself. The influencer is taking the place of celebrities and the media in general because of the communication channels they hold. »
