In Paris, Bulls and Pistons enjoy sights, culture

PARIS — Detroit guard Rodney McGruder had never experienced anything like this. He walked into the foyer of the Paris Opera House, then stopped and looked up to stare in silence at artwork dating back to the 19th century. Finally, he spoke.

“This is something else,” McGruder said. “This is incredible.”

Such was precisely the reaction that the Pistons wanted their players to have on this trip.

The Pistons and Chicago Bulls are facing off in Paris on Thursday night, though this journey — across six time zones for the Pistons, seven for the Bulls — is about much more than basketball. It’s been a midseason immersion into French cuisine, wine and culture, a bit of nightlife, a bit of fashion, even a bit of business. Everybody saw the Eiffel Tower, everybody saw the Champs-Élysées, but both teams decided they couldn’t come to Paris and not make every effort to enjoy the opportunity.

And fans in Paris, which is revving up for the Olympics in the summer of 2024, turned up wherever the Bulls and Pistons were going.

“I can’t understand what they’re talking about,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “But there seems to be huddles and crowds of people.”

There were requisite trips to the Eiffel Tower for both teams, along with a basketball clinic for about 50 school-age French girls on Wednesday.

“These kids don’t have a chance to see us as much in person, so it’s great for them and great for us,” Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said. “It means a lot to them and we try to give back as much as we can, spend the time when we can.”

There were events built around the unveiling of murals depicting both teams, as well as a trip for some to an event at Roland-Garros — site of tennis’ French Open. A visit to the U.S. Embassy awaited some members of the Bulls delegation on Tuesday, some members of the Pistons’ group on Wednesday. And the Pistons decided they wanted a private party filled with some of the best of Paris like art, ballet, food, drink and opera.

So, owner Tom Gores and vice chairman Arn Tellem led the plans for a night they hope the 200 or so members of the Pistons’ travel party won’t forget.

“I think in general, whether it’s business or basketball, bringing families together is most important to us,” Gores said as guests took in the sights of the art and sounds of the music. “For us as a culture, that’s what means the most.”

A simple sign on the fence outside the opera house Tuesday read “Fermeture Exceptionnelle,” which translates to “exceptional closure.” It didn’t say why. A few passersby along the sidewalk on a cold night wondered who was inside the fleet of buses that carried the welldressed group of people into the event – especially those who were perhaps slightly taller than the usual opera crowd.

Inside, the Pistons had the place to themselves.

There were sounds of a violin and a cello, an opera singer appearing on the grand marble staircase with her sound filling the entire space shortly after the event started, ballet dancers inside the gold-covered foyer with artwork dating back to the 1800s, more opera singers there and then finally a closing tribute to “The Phantom of the Opera.”