French Championship Final: Paris Basketball, the apotheosis against Monaco before the mass exodus?

Ambitions for a grand premiere and a taste of a farewell tour. It's more or less the big gap that awaits Paris Basketball before a final in the form of revenge against Monaco . First round this Sunday (4:30 p.m.), at the Adidas Arena. The penultimate match of the season at the Porte de La Chapelle, unless there's a possible victory, on June 24. If the series takes on the appearance of a farewell tour, it's because many figures are expected to leave.

Starting with coach Tiago Splitter, who will join Chauncey Billups' staff in Portland , in the NBA. An assistant role he already held in Brooklyn and Houston before making his debut as head coach in Paris last summer, taking over from Tuomas Iisalo, who himself had accepted an assistant position in Memphis. A first attempt, a masterstroke, with a brilliant run in the Euroleague (quarterfinals), a first title in the club's history in the Coupe de France and first place in the Betclic Elite regular season standings, before returning to the final. The 40-year-old Brazilian has also perfectly filled the shoes of his Finnish predecessor, now coach of the Grizzlies, with a supercharged basketball that dazzled Europe and seduced the crowd at the Adidas Arena .

The latest rumors point to Italy's Francesco Tabellini, Nymburk's coach for the past two years, as the clear favorite to succeed the former NBA champion with Tony Parker's Spurs. A Euroleague novice, like Splitter. Except that Splitter, for his part, relied on the backbone of the 2024 Eurocup winners. This won't be the case for the next Parisian coach.

Indeed, many key players are expected to leave, starting with Mr. TJ Shorts, two-time MVP of the French championship and third in the Euroleague MVP votes. Some had predicted him in Memphis, in the NBA, under Iisalo, but Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman says he will play under him next season. That's not all. Tyson Ward (Olympiakos), Kevarrius Hayes (Monaco, Olympiakos?), Maodo Lo (Red Star?) and Mikael Jantunen (Fener) are expected to leave, as is the best young player in the Euroleague 2024-25 vintage , Nadir Hifi (Monaco?). The end of a cycle. The epilogue of a golden era, which saw Paris win its first titles and make a name for itself on the European scene. Paris Basketball is also a success off the court. All good.

Also read : Basketball: Where and when to watch the French championship final between Paris and Monaco?

It's up to Parisian leaders, led by president David Kahn and sporting director Amara Sy, to sniff out the right leads - as they have done so far - to continue this momentum. " Who says that if these players leave, we won't have a better team? TJ Shorts, Tyson Ward, Nadir Hifi... no one knew who they were three years ago ," Amara Sy said on RMC .

Who's to say that if these players leave, we won't have a better team? TJ Shorts, Tyson Ward, Nadir Hifi... no one knew who they were three years ago.

Amara Sy

And he added: " It's complicated, but unlike most clubs, we've managed to create a very strong identity and a style of play that is unique to us. We know what we want... and what we don't want. Obviously, that gives us a lot fewer possibilities. But when you target a player, you know 90% of the results, unlike clubs that can afford to take a player just because he has a great pedigree, a great career. For us, that margin of error is much smaller than for many clubs." So far, the names of Belgian Thijs De Ridder (Bilbao) and Frenchman Allan Dokossi (Dijon) have been leaked here and there. Some sources have reported a strong interest in Carsen Edwards, the Euroleague's top scorer (20.4 pts/game) at the end of last season with Bayern Munich. Le Parisien suggests that Monaco's Elie OKobo is also being targeted.

One thing is certain: it's going to be a hot summer in Paris. But before that, there's " a huge chapter in the history " of this club, founded in 2018 and promoted to the top flight in 2021, to write. And " not just one more title to go for ," as the members of Kop Parisii, the PBB supporters, recently stated. " After putting Paris on the map of European and French basketball, some of you will soon be heading off to new horizons, to other clubs, other challenges. (...) It's time to let go, to give it your all (...) to finish this adventure as a legend ," they added ambitiously.

And nothing prevents them from being so. Of course, they're facing Monaco, the two-time defending champion. The Roca Team has a budget of €30 million compared to less than €20 million for Paris. The European runners-up were the big favorites in last year's final. And they lived up to their status on the court, winning the series in four sets, with a 115-76 correction in Game 4 at the Adidas Arena. This time, the odds are no longer the same. Neither is the dynamic. Firstly, because Tiago Splitter's players, who have home-court advantage, have shown they can beat anyone, including ASM (2-2 in the direct confrontations this season between the Pro A and the Euroleague). And also because of ASM's internal problems, such as the suspension of Mike James .

That didn't stop Vassilis Spanoulis' players from knocking Asvel out in the semi-finals after a crazy comeback in Game 4 last Wednesday. " It has to be in my Top 3 craziest matches ," enthused the Greek coach, well aware that "his" Roca Team won't be able to afford the same mistakes against Paris. Remember that the Monegasques are in the final for the fourth year in a row, including two titles in 2023 and 2024. Already French champion in 2021 and 2022 with Lyon-Villeurbanne, Matthew Strazel will be aiming for a fifth. It remains to be seen who will write history in this tantalizing series between Paris Basketball and Monaco.