How Cavs Are Balancing Basketball, Experience Ahead Of Paris Game Against Nets

J.B. Bickerstaff emphasizes "life is more than basketball" as the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for their NBA game in Paris.

One of the most grueling parts of being a professional athlete is the long road trips and jumping from city to city in a week. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers set out on one of their longest trips of the season, but this one will be a little bit different than the rest. They landed in Paris, France in the early hours of the morning (Cleveland time) on Monday to take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

J.B. Bickerstaff admitted that this game will be unlike a typical NBA game with all of the other logistics that come with traveling out of the country.

"It's not easy because there is so much stuff that's going around and so many things that are different as far as how you're packing, where you have to put your bags. You know all of these different things that we have to do to get ready for it and you know could lead to your mind kind of going there."

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Yes, it will be a different routine for a week. However, J.B. stressed how honored it is for his team to be chosen to play in this game.

"We'll go and enjoy an experience that were extremely fortunate to be a part of. To represent not only the Cavaliers but the NBA on an international scale is a big compliment to this group of guys and we need to go out and handle it the right way."

With everything going on, it could be hard for the team to truly appreciate where they are. Paris is such a unique and historic city and who knows if they'll get this opportunity again? Bickerstaff wants his players to understand that too and realize it's bigger than basketball.

"You want the guys to embrace the opportunity to go to Paris. Not everybody has had the opportunity to go there, spend time there, learn, see the history, the experiences. So, we'll try to find a way to manage both of those, but life is more than basketball and we try to preach that to our guys so we want to experience and enjoy the moment as well."