Their presence attracts crowds and stares. In the hope of catching a glimpse of the American basketball players, some do not hesitate to wait for hours in front of the hotel where the Team USA players reside or in front of the room in which they train.
He arrived a little after 9am in front of this 4-star hotel, located a stone’s throw from the Opéra Garnier. Sami didn’t hesitate to take an 8am train from Oise on Friday, August 2, and walk about thirty minutes from Gare de Nord to position himself in front of this opulent establishment. Armed with a pen, a shoe and his smartphone, he dreams of running into Kevin Durant, who is staying there, with the entire armada of the American basketball team. After going back and forth between Lille and Paris during a controlled group stage, including a convincing victory against Serbia, things are getting serious for the stars of Team USA, who are facing Brazil in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, August 6.
LeBron James, the best scorer in the history of the North American league, Stephen Curry, the star of the Golden State Warriors, or Jayson Tatum, recent NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, are among the biggest names of these Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And they are prime prey for autograph and selfie hunters from all over the world. The NBA superstars continue to make us dream, thirty-two years after the madness that took hold of Barcelona with the presence of the Dream Team of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. To find their favorite players in the capital, fans do not hesitate to scour social networks, a den of information for these trackers of the slightest movements of Team USA.
Sami is one of them. Motivated by his friends, who came on Thursday and left with a photo and an autograph from Stephen Curry, the 16-year-old teenager was up early, but was a little surprised to be alone. He got the players’ residence location through an X account of LeBron James fans. A few minutes later, Djilan, 14, arrived from Val-d’Oise. He had been there the day before, for four hours. “I spotted the name of the hotel on a TikTok video where the last two letters were visible, I typed them into Google and saw that this hotel matched the images”traces the young Sherlock Holmes.
“I’m not going to watch any games at the Games. Being here is the chance to see them.”
Sami, basketball fanto franceinfo
The huge black coaches and vans parked in front of the hotel leave little room for doubt. The establishment has been privatized by the four American men’s and women’s basketball teams, because the 3×3 teams are also staying there. So it’s impossible to go in for a coffee and try to catch a glimpse of the stars. But the two boys are determined to hang around, and even come back on other days, to get their Grail.
Fate is going to spoil them. Kevin Durant and then LeBron James get out of a van to enter the hotel. If the Lakers star doesn’t stop, Kevin Durant, himself, takes the time to sign Sami’s shoe. And to strike a pose. “Damn, I didn’t expect to see this. Usually you see them on TV. Now you’re seeing it for real,” Djilan breathes, impressed. His friend, for his part, sports a broad smile: “I hesitated to take the shoe, I put it in my bag last night, I did well.” He, who plays in a club in his department, did not hesitate to use his only pair, a model designed by Nike for Kevin Durant.
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“I don’t know if I’ll put it back on.”he assures. And what better support for an autograph than a sneaker, a cult object among all fans of the orange ball. Both are glad they came so early. A little later, the crowd would have made their quest for a photo much more difficult. The sequel will prove them right.
Around 10am, the hotel entrance begins to come alive. The security personnel are more visible, the ballet of vans is getting ready and attracting curious onlookers. Nassim and Chloé, who are coming back from a visit to the Grévin Museum, stop. “I saw a person wearing a Team USA t-shirtassures this LeBron James fan. I thought they were there.” The minutes tick by and the audience grows.
Hugo, 22, has just arrived. Wearing the Lakers star’s jersey, the man who came from Clermont-Ferrand for the Olympics knows that this is one of the last chances to see his idol, who is approaching forty. He was in Lille to watch a United States match and had gone all the way to the players’ hotel, where the crowd was much more impressive than in the capital.
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About thirty people are now waiting in front of the establishment, when security clears the way in front of the main door and the annex. You have to choose your side. For this little lottery, we listen to those who have already experienced the scene: “They go out the back door.” And shortly before 11 o’clock, patience is rewarded, the stars appear.
There is a lot of shouting, but the players don’t stop, in a hurry to get into the vehicles, heading to Levallois-Perret (Hauts-de-Seine) for morning training at the Marcel-Cerdan sports hall. Sami, Djilan and Hugo have seen them, but they want more. “It takes 30 minutes by metro to get there”assures the first, who has spotted the route. They fear missing the arrival at the hall, but Djilan wants to put all the chances on his side to be there: “As soon as the subway doors open, I run.” Unfortunately that day, the NBA stars beat them to it.
In the room, the players are shooting baskets and having fun. Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert’s teammate at the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers phenomenon, are starting a shooting contest from midcourt. LeBron James, for his part, is alternating between chatting with the staff and laughing with his teammates. Coach Steve Kerr, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are answering a few questions from the press.
Outside, Sami and Djilan try to find solutions to enter the enclosure. But their negotiating skills don’t pay off. Nicolas, for his part, mingles with the journalists. He doesn’t have press accreditation, but he’s wearing a firefighter’s uniform. With his camera, he shoots: “I’m a huge, huge fan, no offense, but I’m going to enjoy it.” A little later, it was impossible to find any trace of him. “He got kicked out because he had no business being there.”says a member of the security service.
The room that experienced “Wembamania” last season has become a haunt for fans, especially for Sacha and Jonas, two twins, who have acquired a little notoriety in the neighborhood. “We come every daysays the first. At first, LeBron James didn’t say hello to us. Now he calls us ‘My Twins’.”
In front of the room at 10 o’clock, he talks with security to get information and takes out his American team jersey which already has a few signatures, including that of naturalized pivot Joel Embiid and coach Steve Kerr. He especially hopes for that of Jayson Tatum, his favorite player.
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The boy acts as a lookout when the players leave, about two hours after they arrive in the room. He calls out the names of those who leave, hoping to attract them to him.
“It’s incredible to see them, I almost have no voice left from screaming so much.”
Sacha, basketball fanto franceinfo
“I’m going to be there every dayhe promises. The Team USA coordinator promised my brother and I a gift.” Jayson Tatum signing? “I don’t know, but I’ll have that one.”
Stan, an American who lives in Neuilly, uses humor to attract attention. “I’m a big New York Knicks fan, I’ll tell them to sign there”he jokes. If he didn’t get LeBron James to sign with his favorite team, he did get a “For Sure” at his request from the American flag bearer. Enough to put a few stars in his eyes.