Daily NBA Fix: Heavy Hearts From French Players And Around The NBA

Whenever tragedy hits we are reminded of where sports should be on our list of priorities. It is a cliché, for sure, but it is quite trivial to be worried about wins and losses in the wake of over 100 dead after the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

Terrible things happen every day around the world, leaving hundreds dead, but we don’t always feel a connection to it. On Friday, however, over a dozen NBA players who have called or still call France home made it hard to ignore the tragedy across the ocean as many played with heavy hearts.

The events in Paris came close to directly involving sports themselves as some report that the attackers were attempting to get inside of the Stade de France during a friendly between the French and German soccer teams.

An explosion could be heard during the broadcast of the game, but it wouldn’t be immediately realized that the sound heard in the stadium was from a terrorist attack.

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Many of the NBA players from France were trying to check on family and friends up until the minute they stepped on the court. Even if they had confirmed the safety of their loved ones, you knew they still would be worrying about what might be happening while they played.

Alexis Ajinca used his sneakers to send a message to fans that it wasn’t far from his mind.

"“It’s just a crazy world. You think you’re safe, you’re just walking down the street and the next thing you know, people start shooting,” Ajinca said. “My prayers go to my family and friends.”Ajinca wrote “Pray for Paris” on his sneakers and asked his Twitter followers to “Pray for my family and friends” prior to the game.“During the whole game I was trying to get this out of my mind so I was able to stay focused,” Ajinca said after he had 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss."

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A few players from France happened to meet on the court on Friday night and that mutual concern in their minds certainly weighed on their minds more than anything else.

"In Chicago, the Hornets’ Nicolas Batum and Bulls’ Joakim Noah shared a moment prior to their game. Batum is from Lisieux, France and played for the French national team at the 2012 Olympics. Noah’s father is French former tennis player Yannick Noah. The pair asked about each other’s families prior to tipoff, and both had good news to report.“Still a tough day for us,” Batum said after Chicago’s 102–97 win. “I think about it all game. I wanted to do a good game to show them in my way, we’re strong.”Batum said he stayed on his phone as long as possible before the game trying to locate his family. He has a sister who lives near the site of one of the attacks.“I talked to my sister and some friends and everybody is all right,” Batum said. “They’re shocked. They told me Paris is like a war outside. Everybody is outside. The police is outside. The army is outside.”"

The games went on, and Paris will recover and respond in some ways to the attacks. We know the world can be a violent place and even if sports aren’t as important as we often make them out to be, they can be a welcome distraction in times like this.

LeBron, Carmelo Duel in the Garden

Carmelo Anthony was on fire to start the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James on Friday night as he rained down four three-pointers in his 26-point effort on the night.

In the end though, it was James and the Cavs that would come out on top a 90-84 victory thanks to 31 points from LeBron and another 20 from Mo Williams.

PG and Wiggins and LaVine Faceoff in Indiana

While Melo and LBJ faced off in New York, two of the league’s younger stars were going toe-to-toe in Indiana as Paul George and the Indiana Pacers took on Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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Wiggins and LaVine both scored 26, but Paul George’s hot streak of games with 25 points or more continued with 29 points on Friday night. PG would need Monta Ellis and his 24 points to keep the Timberwolves from closing a 27-point gap in the fourth quarter, something they almost accomplished. The Pacers held on for the 107-103 victory in the end.

Russell Westbrook Still Out of Control

With Kevin Durant out with a hamstring injury, Russell Westbrook is picking up the slack with his second straight triple-double (21 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists). On Friday it was the Philadelphia 76ers on the receiving end of Westbrook’s efforts as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 102-85 at home.