Paris Basketball owner prefers Paris prestige to NBA cities, shares ambitious dream / News - Basketnews.com

Paris Basketball owner Eric Schwartz prioritizes the unique prestige of the French capital, citing its allure and distinctiveness, as he steers the team's trajectory away from the influence of traditional NBA cities.

Credit: AFP - Scanpix Credit AFP - Scanpix

Eric Schwartz, the 61-year-old principal owner of Paris Basketball, exudes ambition for his club. In an interview with LeJDD.fr, he shared his dream of making the Paris team the best in Europe.

Free throws this season

76%13,9Points made:13,9Accuracy:76,2%Place in standings:14Record max:21Record min:6Most made FTs:TJ ShortsTeamEuroCupStatisticsSchedule

"My dream would be for the Paris team to be the best and have the most titles of all European teams," he told LeJDD.fr. "At the end of the day, we would have a distinction in the world of basketball, which would attract more fans, young [people] and adults, to come and see us play and also watch us thanks to innovations. French basketball must succeed in this transformation without competing with the NBA.

"Our players are very good; our coach is phenomenal [Tuomas Iisalo]. In fact, he can start thinking about settling here," Schwartz said with a smile. "American coaches who move from one team to another in Australia, China, or Japan often think about leaving as soon as they arrive. We won't leave, we won't go anywhere else: we're in Paris! I don't need to aim higher, and I'm where I want to be. The Adidas Arena marks the start of this new era."

The latter sentence refers to Paris Basketball becoming the home club of the Adidas Arena. The state-of-the-art 8,000-seat venue, located in Porte de la Chapelle, north of the capital, will host Olympic and Paralympic events in the upcoming summer.

"In France and even in Europe, I would never have done it anywhere other than Paris. Even though I live in New York, I often come here. Paris is the biggest, most beautiful city on the European continent," Schwartz noted. "It's much more prestigious than a bunch of NBA cities. But prestige is secondary.

"I have always appreciated the passion that we find here, this mix between the city and our sport," he continued. "Paris is fashion, style, luxury, history, beauty. Basketball is about athletic power, grace, and street style. It's the combination of all that. That's great, in my opinion.

"If the NBA comes to Paris once a year and not to Berlin, Madrid, or London, it's not for nothing: all the tickets are gone in four minutes. There is a sort of 'Paris effect,' which is a very large economic center with a real connection with our sport. Victor Wembanyama is a worldwide phenomenon, and there are a lot of French players in the NBA: this is a good indicator of the development of basketball culture in France and Paris."

Eric Schwartz is a private investor based in New York City, affiliated with SSW Partners and 76 West Holdings. His professional focus is the financial services industry, and he owns or has owned significant stakes in and served on the board of many private and public companies headquartered in the US, Europe, and Japan.

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