NBA Paris Jam presented by Revolut

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The momentum around basketball and the NBA in France is at an all-time high. It’s such an important market that the NBA expanded their presence this year to play two regular-season games. NBA Paris Jam presented by Revolut was conceived of to give fans yet another touchpoint beyond the games. NBA Paris Jam was an interactive celebrity game held in conjunction with The NBA Paris Games 2025 presented by Tissot. The new event, hosted by French basketball influencers TrashTalk, celebrated the convergence of the NBA and the music, fashion and entertainment that surround today’s game through a series of basketball games and competitions featuring NBA Legends Jalen Rose and Joakim Noah, celebrities, athletes and influencers coached by beloved French sports stars, F1 racing driver Esteban Ocon and judo icon Teddy Riner. It also saw French-Malian artist Aya Nakamura serve as Creative Director and a live performance by French-Congolese singer Dadju.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

NBA Paris Jam brought a first-of-its-kind event to basketball fans in France’s capital at an affordable price point and represented an incredible blend of basketball and entertainment, with the game going in a thrilling double overtime and Dadju’s performance culminating in rapturous fan appreciation. Fan feedback also showed that the local relevance and context in NBA Paris Jam programming and messaging was incredibly important to them and amplified the NBA’s message. The event especially recognized the social native generation of NBA fans and rewarded them with engaging a host of creators who resonated with them, as evidenced by the resulting social engagement.

Objective

The objective of NBA Paris Jam was to celebrate the intersection of basketball with music, fashion, and entertainment in France in conjunction with The NBA Paris Games 2025 presented by Tissot. NBA Paris Jam was created to engage new audiences at an affordable price point, making the event accessible to many new groups who could not access tickets to the NBA games. It also allowed the NBA to highlight local influencers and artists, enhancing fan engagement and celebrating the cultural aspects surrounding the NBA.

Strategy & Execution

NBA Paris Jam was designed to provide a unique and affordable night of entertainment to the modern sports fan from France and beyond. This was done through engaging with a carefully curated and compelling mix of French and international content creators to appeal to the target audience group of GenZ and older Gen A, whilst ensuring the parents remained interested. Paris Jam also integrated the participation of local artists like Aya Nakamura who served as Creative Director along with a dynamic musical performance by Dadju to close out the evening. A two-month dedicated social media campaign served to engage fans and build interest through dropping talent announcements, while a live-streamed team draft event was held at NBA House three days before the main event. All participating talent had social media deliverables and access was significantly increased to provide additional behind-the-scenes content to maximise reach. The run of show was constructed to create key moments with viral potential which translated both in person and online. The atmosphere inside the arena was electric, with a thrilling double-overtime ending which brought fans to their feet.

Organizations

• Paris Jam – The NBA
• 3 Point Productions
• Clark Influence
• Little Dot Sport
• Trash Talk
• Universal Music
• San Antonio Spurs
• Indiana Pacers (they provided dancers as well as players)
• Barjots Dunkers
• FFBB (French Basketball Federation provided the referees).

Links

•   Website

Featured

• TrashTalk
• Aya Nakamura
• Teddy Riner
• Esteban Ocon
• Jalen Rose
• Joakim Noah
• Dadju
• Jeremy Sochan
• Sidy Cissoko
• Victor Wembanyama
• Ben Sheppard
• Johnny Furphy
• Etienne
• Celine Dept
• Waxx
• Brisco
• Tristan Jass
• Oussi Footy
• Totoche
• Studio Danielle
• Joana
• Brawks
• Rookicks
• Manishh
• Clarisse Agbegnenou
• Ari Geli
• New Little Giant

Credits

Sharon Fuller
NBA EME, Head of Content, Social, Communications & PR
NBA

Laura Pinnell
NBA EME Head of Marketing
NBA

AJ Oliver
Senior Producer, NBA Entertainment
NBA

Allison Rothinger
Freelance Event Producer
Freelance

Tom Morrison
Freelance Production Manager
Freelance

Sheila Farin
NBA Events Associate Vice President
NBA

Marc Hirschheimer
NBA Events Vice President
NBA

Nico Printant
NBA EME Events Manager
NBA

Nathan Oyenuga
NBA EME Player, Influencer and Partner Marketing Lead
NBA

Filippo Gennari
NBA EME Player, Influencer & Partner Marketing Associate Manager
NBA

Dorine Bono-Loubières
Freelance Influence and Project Manager
NBA

Andrea Gimenez
NBA EME Office Services & Partner Management Associate Manager
NBA

Sara Trombetta
NBA EME Content Producer
NBA

Cameron McLay
NBA EME Content Producer
NBA

Aaron Morales
NBA EME Social & Digital Editor
NBA

Connor Armstrong
NBA EME Social Media Lead
NBA

Catherine Hart
NBA EME Communications and PR Senior Manager
NBA

Natalia Vazquez
NBA EME Communications and PR Manager
NBA

Michael Perrelli
NBA Communications and PR Director
NBA

Billy Allyday
NBA EME Communications and PR Coordinator
NBA

Emmanuel Unaegbu
NBA EME Basketball Operations Manager
NBA