Spike Lee to Les Twins, Jordan Family and Friends at The One Finals in Paris

Easy and Spike Lee

The Jordan Brand with their District 23 incubator has made Paris’ varied 18th arrondissement into a global sporting and cultural hotspot. With the motto Our Turn, they are giving confidence to the next generation of hoopsters. Many familiar faces that make up the Jordan Family and friends came out to support The Ones Finals including NBA stars Chris Paul and Zion Williamson, rapper and basketball superfan Fat Joe performed followed by Nigerian Afrobeat singer Rema, along with Rapti Sati, Lola Brooke, and Guy2Bezbar.

Rema

Fat Joe

Guy2Bezbar

In attendance was Jordan Brand President Sarah Mensah along with Atlanta-born, Brooklyn-raised, Two-time Oscar Winner Spike Lee. Not restricted to courtside, he gave us very memorable moments throughout the evening from cheers to backtalk. While many young Parisians are usually used to him watching the Knicks, here he was watching the best in 1v1 in a room of youthful contagious cheers. While it was exciting to see Lee cheer on New York Native Scotty Lee Jr (no relation, except Brooklyn), it was just exciting to see all of the local Paris natives cheering on Steve Bah.

Lola Brooke

Q and Zion Williamson

Rapti Sati

Over the years, Lee has created some of the most iconic Jordan moments from his campaigns with Michael Jordan to his legendary Jordan Brand TV commercials. While he may not jump like the Jumpman, he gives us the confidence to feel like we can. Like Jordan, he has inspired a generation in France as a fixture over the years especially at Cannes, social chronicles like Do the Right Thing to portraits like He Got Game have a cult following in France. His landmark storytelling resonates with people in France and has opened the doors to many French artists to tell their own stories through different artistic mediums, who previously might have not had the validation. District 23 Creative Director Youssouf Fofana is bringing that message back home.

Steve Bah and Youssouf Fofana

From Jordan’s French family Les Twins, Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois treated us to an impromptu freestyle. Decked out in Jordan, with all the freedom to move with expression, with every move they show how much the brand has transcended sports into culture. Between games, we caught up with Laurent and Larry on a personal and French perspective on Jordan.

Being part of the Jordan family, and especially representing France in the family, how have you seen the Jordan family grow in Paris, especially now with District 23?

Laurent: I don’t think Jordan knows how big Jordan is for us, and now it’s touching new streets that no one has touched before, like in the 18th. It’s insane, people were always into the shoes like “That’s my Jordans, my Js” but now it’s with clothes, and I’m so happy it happened.

Larry: It came at the right time, in the right way. We are so blessed, because I have worked so hard to be the person that I am worldwide, and I feel like the movement that I’m doing has to be connected to the right people. And there is no better collab than Jordan worldwide.

As dancers and breakers, you need clothes to move in.

Laurent: Before we met the family, we wore Jordan, you would never have caught me dancing with anything else.

Where did that love of Jordan come from?

Laurent: From Jordan’s own story, he was so stylish without knowing he was. He was the creator of hope, and he did. He did something that no one else did before, and he wasn’t the first black player in the industry. And that is something that we did too without wanting to, we wanted to show the world what we were about. We grew up in the ghetto, and our hood didn’t want us to get bigger. We wanted to show the world that we existed, but we didn’t know that we could change the world for the better. There are a lot of people that everyone knows by just one name that comes from backgrounds of struggle like Messi and Ronaldinho, and I started to ask myself, why not me? I never thought that they were lucky, I was asking instead why not me? I’m a good guy, but that’s not enough, I needed to be brave because brave means going beyond limits.

Les Twins

The One Finals are inspired by Jordan playing 1v1 with his brother Larry. Did you two ever battle each other to bring out the best?

Larry: Of course! There is now twin life without competition! We have been in a relationship since day one because we were born together. I don’t have a better enemy than him. He is my favorite bigger, older brother, and he is beautiful!

Laurent: Because I look like you, that’s what you are saying!

Larry: Take the compliment! We are blessed though. Traveling and meeting so many gifted, talented people worldwide, I understand now why Jordan wants to be more worldwide, there is so much talent out there and those beginners still look up to him. When I meet those people I’m like “Finally, we exist”.

How do you two continue to push each other going forward?

Larry: First of all, we use dance to do everything we want. We use dance because it’s so easy to put our signature out there whether it’s acting, directing, modeling, music, or producing. Our mother taught us to bring the light and bring happiness, and that’s what we carry with Jordan. I think Jordan saw something in us because he literally had us sign a contract with a napkin and a pen. This is our story, it’s incredible but very true.