How Quai54 became the heart of the Jordan Brand

That Paris is the most American of all European cities is a fact: from Eiffel to Wembanyama, the relationship between the United States and France - especially in relation to its capital - was the most equal that the old continent could boast. It is therefore not surprising that Quai54 takes place in Paris itself, this year on the picturesque Roland Garros square. Quai54 is the streetball tournament created in 2003 by Hammadoun Sidibé and Thibaut de Longueville, which over the last 20 years has become a real institution for fans not only of basketball but also of the culture associated with it: Hip-hop, dance, entertainment and an extreme focus on promoting black culture. Since day one, Quai54 has been promoted by Nike and Jordan as part of the brand's tireless work to curate the French community, which by all accounts is the strongest on the athletic side for MJ's brand.

For the special 20th anniversary edition, the brand's creative efforts focused on telling the story of the Pan-African diaspora by designing an extensive capsule collection that draws on the colours and motifs of the Pan-African flag itself. From the inside, Quai54 resembles a street fair in every way: the long lines at the cash registers, the idea of dressing up to go to sports fairs, and the willingness to "hang out" in the arena that is typical of American sports. Even if for the first time Quai54 loses the atmosphere of the Eiffel Tower - where the tournament has been held in recent years - the ability of the court inside Roland Garros is phenomenal and gives the tournament a sense of professionalism. Professionalism, by the way, is the right word to use when talking about Quai 54: 16 teams from 10 countries, an MVP, Nadir Hibi, who was listed with Wemby in the NBA Draft this year, and an average level of play that rises alarmingly in the final stages of the tournament. Instead, Saturday was all about the Dunk Contest, with the crowd cheering on the victory of American Tyler Currie at the expense of the incredible Polish jumper Piotr Grabowski.

The Dunk Contest itself was the moment Jordan and the NBA merged at Quai54. In fact, 3 of Jordan's best athletes - Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum - were the judges of the tournament. Jordan Brand also unveiled new signature shoes dedicated to its stars in Paris, as well as the official launch of the Jordan 38. The media, including nss sports, had the opportunity to meet the three stars and the brand's entire design team in a conversation that also revealed the new mantra behind the creation of the new signatures, Jayson Tatum 1, Doncic 2 and Zion 3: "Speed" and "Flight"," the balance between speed and jump, expertly balanced by the different athletes and represented by the silhouettes. Everyone, starting with Martin Lotti, VP and Head of Design for the brand for years, has explained to the point of exhaustion how central the athlete is to the design process. That it all starts with them and their ideas, which Jordan can turn into a sneaker with more resources. A case in point? When Tatum was asked what guiding animal represented him, the Boston star replied "a dolphin". To the obvious question "but why a dolphin?" he responded with "because everyone likes dolphins!"

The weekend Jordan hosted in Paris further solidified the brand's role in Paris' urban basketball culture. It's no coincidence that PSG's away jersey was unveiled the same weekend, inspired by the city's notion of speed. It is a cohesive universe that every day becomes more and more a brand that can outlive its own name. A perhaps impossible mission, but based on the only possible principle: community.