Magic Ex Evan Fournier Angry About NBA's Paris Game Choice
Former Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier has always wanted to play in front of his hometown fans in Paris, and the latest opportunity to do so has come and gone.
Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports
The NBA announced Tuesday that the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons will square off in Paris next season, their affair scheduled for Jan. 19 at Accor Arena. It is set to be the NBA's first game beyond American/Canadian borders since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fournier, born in Parisian suburb Saint-Maurice, was not pleased about the chosen matchup and took to Twitter to vent his frustration. His simple yet demonstrative declaration of futility ("CMON MAN!!!!!!!!") is accompanied by photos of a television announcing the news and numerous emojis red with anger.
Though Fournier has played in international games before during his time with the Magic, he has not played a professionally-sanctioned game in his home country since his days with Poitiers Basket 86 in France's top-tier league. He played two seasons there before the Denver Nuggets took him with the 20th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Fournier, 29, is set to enter his second season in New York after joining the Knicks through a sign-and-trade deal with the Boston Celtics. He made Knicks history in his first season, sinking a team-record 241 three-pointers to break John Starks' 27-year record.
The Knicks previously played in Paris during the 2010 preseason, facing off against Minnesota Timberwolves. Other international affairs include three regular season games in London, the last being a loss to Washington in January 2019.
Hopefully for Fournier, the Knicks can say bonjour to Paris in 2023-24.
