📸 Joséphine Brueder/ Ville de Paris
A vibrant transformation is underway across the city as monumental works of art adorn 3×3 basketball courts, leaving an indelible mark on the urban landscape. A closer look at this artistic facet of the Paris 2024 legacy reveals a fusion of sport and creativity.
As part of the legacy initiative for the Paris 2024 Games, numerous 3×3 basketball courts have been renovated and refurbished. This development is particularly welcome in view of the sport’s Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021, setting the stage for a surge of enthusiasm during the forthcoming Paris Games in 2024.
The primary aim is to work with affiliated basketball clubs, local associations and community groups to activate courts and introduce new initiatives such as women’s basketball or inclusive basketball. The overall aim is to increase access to outdoor sport, particularly in priority neighbourhoods across the city.
Peaceful basketball in Square DuchĂŞne
📸 Clement Dorval/Ville de Paris
The spirit of 3×3 basketball has taken over Square DuchĂŞne in the 14th arrondissement! The dynamic mural, created by the artist and illustrator Elsa Martino – herself a former amateur basketball player – is a collaboration with young people from the Angel Para Paris Anim centre. Inspired by the archives of Paris Basket 14, the district’s flagship club, this vibrant work of art is located near the Plaisance metro station on rue VercingĂ©torix (Henri et Achille DuchĂŞne Square. 144 Rue VercingĂ©torix. 75014 Paris).
How revamping basketball courts can restore a sense of community?
📸 Jean-Baptiste Gurliat/Ville de Paris
If these courts can act as agents of community cohesion, it’s because the entire development process – from planning to execution and beyond – is a collaborative effort with local residents, neighbourhood associations and regular users. Rym Chaouche, one of Eole’s (a basketball court in the 18th arrondissement) iconic basketball players, highlights their contribution to the renovation: “We were very much involved in the renovation of the court. For example, workshops were organised beforehand“.
While it may be too early to measure the impact of these renovations on the development of basketball practice, the early signs are promising. The courts are popular, with queues forming at times and a mix of new users joining the regulars. Rym Chaouche observes, “In the summer, the Eole playground has been consistently full since the renovation. We see new faces in addition to the regulars – often younger athletes and even foreigners passing through the city“. This early success should contribute to the project’s goal of renovating almost half of the public spaces by 2025.
- Numeris  Média is officially accredited media to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games