By Shailey Klein, Journalism Sophomore

I had never been to Paris before this study abroad program. In fact, I had never even set foot in Europe. So, I had no idea what to expect, visiting a new city and immersing myself in a culture I knew very little about.

As soon as we arrived in Paris, Dr. Coche, Professor Ted Spiker and our local study abroad coordinator Kristin took us to the Montparnasse Tower. The observation deck at the top of the tower provided a breathtaking view of Paris.

Growing up, I had seen so many photos and heard so many people talk about the Eiffel Tower. However, actually seeing the top of the Eiffel Tower touch the clear, blue skies with my own eyes was magical. 

The morning of the game, I meandered through the city with my classmates, Cristina Santiago, Caroline King and Imogen Barrett. We were looking for a particular pickup basketball court facing the Eiffel Tower. Caroline and Imogen were hoping to interview people playing basketball there for their project.

Although I was initially just tagging along, joining them resulted in one of the most impactful experiences of the program for me.

Most of the people playing basketball didn’t speak any English, but we were still able to communicate with them through the game of basketball. They shared the same passion for the sport as we did despite coming from vastly different backgrounds.

We traveled all the way from the U.S. to cover the globalization of basketball, and we literally saw it with our own eyes on those pickup courts. 

Shortly after leaving the basketball court, Cristina and I made our way to the “NBA House” pop-up museum. Bulls and Pistons memorabilia were scattered throughout the room. As a lifelong Bulls fan, seeing the NBA Championship trophies from the Jordan era was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Former NBA stars and French citizens Tony Parker and Joakim Noah were at the pop-up museum.

Not only is Noah a former NBA player, but he is also a Gator great. He led Florida to back-to-back National Championships in ‘06 and ‘07. Cristina and I witnessed the worldwide connections the University of Florida offers. We caught Noah’s attention with a “Go Gators!” resulting in him going out of his way to chat with us.

Cristina and I worked together to produce a news package for WUFT News recapping our experience as reporters in Paris. I did a standup in front of Accor Arena previewing the game to air on the news that night.

Producing this package taught me a lot. But the most significant takeaway of this program for me was witnessing how sports connect millions of people across the globe.

I love touring stadiums in the U.S. across all sports and all levels. Having the opportunity to tour the Stade de France and Roland Garros allowed me to see not only the similarities in facilities, but also similar passion for sports in the U.S. and France.

As a lifelong Chicago Bulls fan, hearing chants in French for the same team that I cheer for in the U.S. was inspiring.

More than any other experiences I have had so far, the NBA in Paris program gave me a chance to see the impact I can have as a sports journalist by connecting people across the globe.

Posted: March 13, 2023
Category: NBA in Paris
Tagged as: NBA in Paris, Paris, sports, Sports@CJC, Study Abroad, Study Abroad experience