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Artist-designed 3x3 basketball courts are springing up all over the capital. Take advantage of the new courts at Square Duchêne (14th arrondissement), Jardin Henri Sauvage (18th arrondissement), Sabonnière (15th arrondissement) and Square Léon in the 18th arrondissement. A legacy for basketball fans ahead of the 2024 Games.
Attention basketball fans! Several new 3x3 basketball courts are being renovated and embellished ahead of the Paris 2024 Games. This is good news for the sport that made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021… it is set to attract many fans to the Paris Olympics in 2024!
The aim is to bring together affiliated basketball clubs and groups and local associations to liven up the courts and showcase new initiatives (women's basketball, healthy basketball, inclusive basketball, etc.). It also aims to improve access to outdoor sports, particularly in priority urban neighborhoods.
The new face of the Henri Sauvage grounds
Henri Sauvage basketball court (18th arrondissement)
Credit
Ville de Paris
What's special about this court is that it's located in the Jardin Henri Sauvage (18th arrondissement). The court has Olivia Epoupa's signature written on its right hand side. The French basketball player grew up in the 18th arrondissement. The surrounding art was created by the Panagon collective, who has already created frescoes at the Parc Montsouris and Pailleron courts.
Jardin Henri Sauvage
5 rue des amiraux
75018 PARIS
Complément d'adresse
Accès rue Boinod, rue des Poissonniers, rue des Amiraux
The revival of the Lagny site
Lagny basketball court (20th arrondissement)
Credit
Gérard Sanz/Ville de Paris
The renovation of this court near Place de la Nation (20th arrondissement) has delighted local basketball players! The court was designed by artist Kwhezi Strydom.
The making of the fresco
Vidéo Youtube
Red, white and blue for Sablonnière
La Sablonnière basketball court (15th arrondissement)
Credit
Ville de Paris
Two shades of blue, a hint of white and solid red: the Sablonnière basketball court's new colors are sure to catch the eye! It's positioned in the 15th arrondissement, not far from the Cambronne metro station (line 6). The court was designed by Playgones, as part of a project supported by the Agence nationale du sport and Française des Jeux.
Basketball goes green at Square Duchêne
Inauguration of the TEP Duchêne. Duchêne (14th)
Credit
Jean-Baptiste Gurliat / Ville de Paris
Square Duchêne basketball court, 144 rue Vercingétorix (14th district)
Credit
Clément Dorval/Ville de Paris
Inauguration of the TEP Duchêne. Duchêne (14th).
Credit
Jean-Baptiste Gurliat / Ville de Paris
3x3 basketball has been brought to Square Duchêne in the 14th arrondissement! Artist and illustrator Elsa Martino, a former amateur basketball player, has created this brightly colored fresco. The work was created with young people from the Centre Paris Anim Angel Para. Her inspiration came from the Paris Basket 14 archives , the arrondissement's flagship club. To be found on rue Vercingétorix, near the Plaisance metro station.
Square Henri et Achille Duchêne
144 rue Vercingétorix
75014 PARIS
Complément d'adresse
Accès 144-174 rue Vercingétorix, 239-245 rue d’Alésia
Women's basketball in the spotlight at Charles Moureu
Playground Charles Moureu
Credit
Tristan Lamielle/Mairie du 13e
Want to work on your shooting near the Tolbiac campus (13th arrondissement)? The court at the Charles Moureu stadium has been designed by artist Jérémy Amate, who has swapped chalk for floor paint. His work, prepared with the Domrémy club, depicts an unnamed female basketball player. "It's the very essence of street basketball: the spectacular, the desire to surpass oneself and respect for the opponent", explains the artist. A new water fountain has also been installed to limit the use of plastic bottles.
An invitation to play at the Jardin Villemin
Playground jardin Villemin (10th)
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
The court in the Jardin Villemin (10th arrondissement) has been given a new lease of life by artist Lotfi Hammadi, who has already made a name for himself with his renovation of the Jardin d'Eole court. It's an invitation to play on a court that allows for basketball and handball. The artist has inscribed the words "Play" and "Paris" in giant letters, as "an injunction to play, a word from a coach, a partner expressing the desire to continue". His work uses the capital's colors… red and blue!
Both plots are located in the Villemin garden, at 14 rue des Recollets (10th arrondissement).
Square Léon, the 18th century Mona Lisa
Fresco by Elka on the Square Léon basketball court (18th district)
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
In the heart of the Goutte d'Or district, contemporary artist Elka has recently restored color to a popular plot of land in the 18th arrondissement, in the Square Léon. Her dazzling frescoes break up faces into multicolored facets, highlighting the multicultural nature of human beings. Here, she portrays a woman. For this basketball enthusiast, it's all about "conveying emotions through faces and looks". The artistic transformation and renovation of the Square Léon is as enchanting as the local basketball club, La Pelcha. "It's important to place a female figure on a basketball court. The court is open-access, so anyone can come and play, and that's the main thing!"
Square Léon
20 rue des Gardes
75018 PARIS
Complément d'adresse
Une entrée secondaire permet d'accéder au square depuis le passage Léon
Les accès par la rue Polonceau sont fermées du 03 au 24 juin inclus en raison d'un événement sportif
Luquet, made in NBA
Terrain de Luquet in the 20th arrondissement
Credit
Lola Suarez / Ville de Paris
After the courts at Jemmapes and Charles Moureu, it's the Luquet court's turn to be renovated. The 20th arrondissement court was designed by Parisian artist Kekli, who mixes styles, techniques and supports. "I always work with a smile, so the idea was to create a happy place," says the artist, who was present at the inauguration on June 24th.
The Luquet physical education center is located at 4, rue du Transvaal, in the 20th arrondissement.
Terrain de sport - square Alexandre-Luquet
4 rue du Transvaal
75020 PARIS
Complément d'adresse
Accès : rue Botha, rue Piat, rue du Transvaal
Pailleron, back to basics
TEP Pailleron
Credit
Boris Vassaux / Ville de Paris
The Pailleron court, designed by Panagon, pays tribute to two French basketball stars who grew up in the 19th arrondissement: Mustapha Sonko, former French national team player in the 1990s and Olympic runner-up with the French team in Sydney in 2000, and Amary Sy, who made a name for himself in the French Championship over a long career.
The Terrain d'éducation physique Pailleron is located at 6, cité Hiver, in the 19th arrondissement.
Philippe-Auguste, committed to women's sport
TEP Philippe-Auguste
Credit
Lola Suarez / Ville de Paris
The Philippe-Auguste court, located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, has benefited from a very special renovation. Clémence Gouy, a committed French artist, designed the court, featuring two Parisian 3x3 basketball players, Anna Ngo Ndjock and Marie-Eve Paget, to highlight the place of women's sport in the public space.
The Philippe Auguste physical education center is located at 68, avenue Philippe-Auguste, in the 11th arrondissement.
A legacy for the basketball community
These renovations are part of the City's legacy program for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The aim is to give Parisians better access to outdoor sports, particularly in working-class neighborhoods, while bringing art and sports together with the intervention of international and local artists who are committed to their roots.
The City of Paris and the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) are now building a shared legacy for the Parisian basketball community.
Paris is renovating almost half of the capital's 3x3 basketball courts, some 50 in all. Nearly thirty have already been refurbished (15 in 2022 and 14 in 2023), with a final renovation session scheduled for 2024.
These pitches are getting a new lease of life thanks to a partnership with the FFBB, MAIF and the Agence nationale du sport. Several new pitches are still planned for 2024:
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Léon Frapié (20th)
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Sarrail (16th)
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Porte d'Asnières (17th)
George Eddy gives it a shot
"It's the most beautiful court in the world". George Eddy, a sports journalist with an inimitable voice and accent, was on hand at the inauguration of the 3x3 basketball court on the Champ-de-Mars in September 2023. This "basketball purist" talks about the development of Parisian basketball, the bond he maintains with the capital and his favorite court!
There are many basketball courts in Paris, some of which are being renovated or have recently been renovated. What do you think of the place of this sport in the capital?
In the early 1990s, there was a similar phenomenon, known as the "courts" phenomenon. Many young people in Paris and the suburbs preferred basketball to soccer. We were lucky enough to build several hundred courts in France. Thirty years on, we need to renovate them. This is a fabulous City of Paris project which will refurbish more than thirty courts between now and the 2024 Olympic Games.
We're seeing the fruits of this labor with the Champ-de-Mars course, which for me is the most beautiful in the world, with the Eiffel Tower behind it. Clubs are full, so amateurs can enjoy free access without signing up to one. Just like in the 1990s, we're seeing a basketball court revival.
You played and even coached in Paris in the 1980s. Today we know you mainly as a commentator. What are your ties with the capital and the Parisian sports scene?
I've been involved with everything to do with Parisian basketball for 45 years. Things have changed, clubs have changed, and Paris Basketball [club] is going to have a magnificent new venue at Porte de la Chapelle. It's a revival for the capital, having a first division team with this brand-new 8,000-seat venue. There's plenty of scope to build an ambitious project. The team could eventually play in the European Cup, become French Champion or maybe one day play in the Euro League. Anything is possible in a major, world-famous city like Paris. Seeing this court on the Champ-de-Mars is in a way the culmination of everything I've been able to do in Parisian basketball at various levels, and I'm delighted!
What's your favorite court?
I've been living near Chatou (78) for twenty years. We've had a beautiful court with two nets for four years, which I have worked on. I consider it to be one of the most beautiful courts in France, but to be honest, the one at Champ-de-Mars definitely competes with the one in Chatou!
George Eddy, at the inauguration of a new basketball court, Champ de Mars, 7th arrondissement.
Credit
Baptiste Dereclenne
George Eddy, at the inauguration of a new basketball court, Champ de Mars, 7th arrondissement.
Credit
Baptiste Dereclenne
George Eddy, at the inauguration of a new basketball court, Champ de Mars, 7th arrondissement.
Credit
Baptiste Dereclenne
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