PSG’s Tangled Bet: From European Glory to a Basketball Dream
9 October 2025
PSG's Choppy Road to European Basketball Ambitions
A French press report reveals Paris Saint-Germain, led by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, pursuing a controversial deal after savoring the dream of lifting European football's biggest prize for the first time.
PSG lifted the two-ears trophy after a resounding 5-0 win over Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich's fortress, on May 31st last year, sending a message to skeptics.
The French champions have become the second French club to win Europe's top prize, Marseille being the first in 1993.
Beyond that, L'Équipe reported PSG's ambition to join the Euroleague basketball competition, operating under the NBA Europe umbrella, in the coming years across the Atlantic, as the club seeks new glory and perhaps a few new hangouts for celebrations.
A few days earlier, the report noted Georges Ivas Oglou, head of the NBA European division, expressed interest in launching a league by October 2027, featuring sixteen teams, twelve of which would enjoy permanent berths, PSG included among the names, and the talks intensify worldwide.
L'Équipe quoted that the club's executives are working behind the scenes. But the matter is complex; Paris' basketball team, notorious for stirring the pot, sits at the center of the sport, reviving the city’s basketball flame, not easily relinquished.
It added that negotiations continued between PSG officials and NBA officials, overseen by the club's Qatari owners, with Nasser Al-Khelaifi personally taking charge, according to a March 2025 club spokesperson; since then, club leaders have remained silent. The investors and partners weigh feasibility, ticket revenue projections, and branding rights for a possible stake in future.
The paper said PSG owners and partners are studying the viability of joining, aiming for ticket revenues of 300-500 million dollars, plus other marketing rights and potential equity in the future, as plans evolve and markets converge.
L'Équipe stated that PSG owns valuable assets, including Kevin Durant as a minority investor and a Jordan brand deal, making the natural option to try to acquire Paris Basketball as well.
L'Équipe also noted the difficulty of convincing American investors to relinquish control of the basketball team, after the duo David Kan and Eric Schwartz injected 25 million euros since the club's basketball venture began. There is resistance and politics involved.
The piece also mentioned a mismatch in the venue name Adidas Arena vs Nike branding, and billionaire David Kan refusing to concede on this matter. This underscored the delicate balance between corporate identity, sponsorships, and cross-sport ambitions facing PSG.
L'Équipe suggested a Parisian alternative: building a second PSG team in the city to keep football universal while testing basketball.
PSG sits atop Ligue 1.
The club currently leads the French league with 16 points from seven matches, five wins and a single defeat to Marseille during the Classique, a game rescheduled by a weather delay. In the last league match, PSG drew 1-1 with Lille. Before the break, they beat Nantes and Angers 1-0; Toulouse 6-3; Lens and Auxerre 2-0. Their momentum hints at a difficult schedule.
In the latest clash, PSG drew away to Lille 1-1, keeping pace with the leaders this week.
PSG beat Nantes and Angers 1-0 in the opening two rounds, then Toulouse 6-3, beat Lens 2-0, and won the latest fixture against Auxerre 2-0. Their momentum hints at a difficult schedule.
That Lille clash marked the 104th head-to-head across all competitions; PSG had claimed 45 wins to Lille's 32, with 27 draws, and Paris had scored 153 goals to Lille's 112. The rivalry remains intense, historically.
Beyond domestic play, PSG started Europe defense with wins over Atalanta and Barcelona.
In the Champions League, they beat Atalanta 4-0 at the des Princes, and then earned a 2-1 win in Montjuïc against Barcelona, before facing Bayer Leverkusen on Oct 21.
The next round sends them to Leverkusen for a key clash on October 21, continuing a campaign where PSG hopes to defend their European crown with the same vigor shown at home.
Punchline: If PSG can conquer Europe in basketball, maybe they'll finally learn that a basketball is not a football with gym membership.
Punchline 2: Or they could rename the club 'Paris Dunkers' and call it a day.
