Searches for hotels in Paris have increased by 10% worldwide in the lead-up to the yearly NBA Finals in the French capital, which will be hosted by the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Thursday night, the NBA will make its annual regular season stop in Europe, and all eyes will be on Paris.
The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers will meet at the Accor Arena in what promises to be another all-Eastern Conference matchup.
Basketball fans in France and over the continent will be flocking to witness superstars like Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers and Mikal Bridges of the Nets, so the 20,300-capacity arena is sure to be sold out.
A research by Hotels.com, the NBA’s official travel partner, indicated that demand in this match has soared for more than simply tickets.
They found that, compared to the next week, hotel searches for gameday in Paris are up 10% internationally and 45% among Americans, suggesting that NBA fans are looking to get their fix abroad.
According to Hotels.com, there was a 10% increase in searches for Paris in the UK, where the O2 Arena used to host the NBA’s European regular-season game before Paris took over. Last year, the game was played in Detroit, and the Chicago Bulls won by a score of 126-108.
Each of the two teams, the Nets and the Cavaliers, has playoff hopes this year, so Thursday’s game should be more exciting than last year’s.
The Cavaliers are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-15 record, while the Nets are in tenth place with a 16-21 record.
When asked about the next event, both sides were incredibly enthusiastic.
It’s going to be a blast to play in Paris and start the game. Being outside at this (Eiffel Tower) is sick. It’s fantastic to be here with the full crew and group. Mitchell emphasized the importance of being present on Thursday.
It’s fantastic. The head coach of the four-time All-Stars, J.B. Bickerstaff, expressed gratitude for the team’s selection to represent the NBA and Cleveland. The players and coaches understood the magnitude of the honor.
“Any chance we get to spend time like this together, away from everything else, it just strengthens our bond as a great group of guys.”
I really enjoy Paris,’ Brooklyn center Nic Claxton said. Being on this stage and having the opportunity to travel to Europe is awesome. Such things are too precious for us to ignore.
We visited China a while ago, and I have no doubt that the squad would benefit greatly from this opportunity. I am thrilled. There will be certain events and practice days. Our benefit will be substantial.
