The interview with Baptiste Duponchel, the club’s intendant for the last four seasons, is one of the most important men behind the scenes at the club. We let you discover this very important part of the Paris Basketball machinery:
What is your role as intendant?
My role as steward is to take care of the players on a daily basis, so that all they think about is basketball. I have to organize and manage everything, whether it’s training sessions, games, taking care of apartments, cars… everything that revolves around the player and his needs.
How did you end up at Paris Basketball?
I’ve been looking for this type of position for a long time. I saw on social networks and Antoine de Franciosi, the Team Manager, interviewed me. It was in October 2019, and my first game was in the Leaders Cup.
How does it feel to go from Pro B to Betclic Elite, then Betclic Elite + Eurocup?
I prefer the rhythm we have now, because we play every two or three days, which is cool, but it’s a lot more tiring. We have less rest, we travel more, we put miles on our heads every week. When you do Gran Canaria -> Monaco -> Paris to play matches, it’s exhausting. But it’s better than playing Saint-Chamond once a week, and I’ve got nothing against Saint-Chamond. In Pro B there’s less hype, less expectation, but it’s a tough, physical championship. The run we made to get into Pro A was incredible. This year we discovered the European level and now we’re fighting for the Playoffs, so every year is different. What’s cool is that the club is moving fast, but that can also be dangerous because it’s young and the people are young. When you have experience, it’s much easier to get past the steps.
What’s your best memory of Paris Basketball?
I think my best memory was the bus ride home after the game in Lille during the Betclic Elite run. We didn’t know we were going up yet, because it wasn’t a done deal, but we had our suspicions. Everything had been going our way from the start: we’d completed our 11-game run and climbed from 7th to 2nd place, level with Fos-sur-Mer. On the bus, we told ourselves that nothing could happen to us anymore, and that we’d almost certainly get on. That’s my fondest memory of partying with the guys on the bus and feeling invincible during that incredible run.
How do you prepare a basketball locker room?
We prepare everything, from shoes to clothes. What’s different from other sports is that in soccer, you take 20 pairs of tights and that’s it. In basketball, some players wear tights, others under-bodies, muffs, everyone’s different, and that’s what’s so cool. There are fewer players, but it’s personalized and that’s cool.
What marks a steward?
You’re often marked when you do something stupid. This year I just forgot one of Kamagate’s overshirts. This tintin had used it for a shoot and forgot to put it back in the dirty laundry, so we left without it in the Eurocup. The guys aren’t starlets, so they don’t bother you for more than five minutes. They’re good guys, despite their competitive spirit: when they need to “get in each other’s faces”, they do. Otherwise, they like each other, they live well together and we’ve got a really cool group this year where not one of them is more of a pain in the ass. We’ve had some more complicated players to deal with, but they’re all really top guys.
Teaming up with Mathias Redon and Team Manager Antoine De Franciosi, the trio keep a close eye on the players and the smooth running of the season. It’s a project that appeals to Baptiste all the more: “Especially in Paris, where I grew up. The evolving project, the new hall: there’s plenty to do!
