Catch12, EuroStep, and the Levallois Metropolitans are positioning Paris at the center of basketball’s global future
There is a shift happening in basketball, and it is accelerating.
The game is no longer defined by borders. It is being shaped by culture, global visibility, and markets that can carry both history and future growth at the same time. Right now, Paris sits at the center of that convergence.
Paris brings everything the modern game demands. A deep love of basketball. A rising talent pipeline. Recent draft momentum. A culture that moves seamlessly between street and luxury. It is high end, but built for the masses. That combination is rare, and it is exactly what global basketball is moving toward.
At the center of that movement is the Levallois Metropolitans.
The Metropolitans are not just tied to the city. They reflect it. There is history, presence, and credibility, but there is also a forward looking vision that aligns with where the game is going. They represent the pulse of Paris, both culturally and competitively.
That is what made the fit with Catch12 clear.
Through its strategic investment in EuroStep Ventures, Catch12 is not just entering a new market. It is aligning with a platform that sits at the intersection of culture, sport, and global expansion.
For Berry Winn, COO of Catch12, the decision was rooted in recognizing that convergence early.
“When we stepped back and looked at Paris, it checked every box,” Winn said. “The culture, the talent, the global attention, and where the game is heading. The Metropolitans sit right in the middle of that. This is about building on that foundation and growing it into something that can scale across sport, media, and community.”
That belief is shared by EuroStep leadership, who see Paris as a market ready for the highest level of the game.
“Paris is a basketball town, and our fans deserve the best basketball product,” said Sam Simon, Co-founder of EuroStep. “The NBA in the City of Lights is basketball paradise.”
That foundation is now colliding with the next phase of the game.
NBA Europe is not a concept anymore. It is the natural evolution of everything already happening across the global basketball ecosystem. Markets like Paris are not being built for it. They are already ready for it.
And the Metropolitans are positioned directly inside that lane.
For Ja Morant, Chairman of Catch12, the connection is simple.
“I’m excited about how this first season with the Metros is going. They represent the culture, just like we do. I like what we are building and hopefully we get to take it into NBA Europe.”
That perspective is shared across Catch12’s leadership, with a clear understanding of where the game is headed and what it requires.
For CEO Phil Morant, the alignment with Paris and the Metropolitans is directly tied to that future.
“NBA Europe is coming, and it is going to be built around the right cities and the right organizations,” Phil Morant said. “Paris is one of those cities, and the Metropolitans represent it the right way. They have the culture, the foundation, and the vision. That is what puts you in position to be part of something bigger.”
Davonte Pack, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Catch12, put it simply.
“Paris has real energy to it, and the Metros move the same way. It’s the right fit at the right time.”
Founder Tee Morant sees that same moment through the lens that has guided Catch12 from the beginning.
“This is about being where the game is going,” Tee Morant said. “Paris has that energy, and the Metros reflect it. When you stay true to how you build and who you build with, it opens doors to opportunities like this.”
As basketball continues to evolve, the next era will not be defined by expansion alone. It will be defined by convergence. Culture, talent, market, and vision all meeting in the same place at the same time.
Paris is already that place.
The Metropolitans may be the best positioned club to represent it.
And Catch12 and EuroStep seem to be building right alongside that future.
Trey Draper is a best selling author, ESPN college basketball analyst, and elite player development coach whose work spans grassroots basketball through the NBA. A Memphis native, he has trained more than 35 NBA and WNBA players and partnered with Nike Basketball on youth and international development.
