Article and interview by Isa Simon, Los Angeles

From Dijon-via Paris to Los Angeles, Meet French Basketball Entrepreneur PIERRE HAESSIG: Photographer, Videographer and Digital Creator NBA Europe and His connection with Victor Wembanyama

NBA photographer Pierre Haessig started his journey in Paris over six years ago, as the French NBA social media specialist. Crossing over the Atlantic to land among the majestic green Californian palm trees, on Ocean blue Santa Monica Bay, Pierre steps on every NBA basketball court, from Los Angeles, to Phoenix, New York City or Boston, shooting iconic pictures and videos of star basketball players.

After six years of covering NBA digital media, and two years in the US:

“I covered sixty-five games in eight different arenas including one in France; met so many people along the road this season, I can’t name them all, but I’m sure you’ll recognize yourself reading this… shot about 35,000 pictures, filming iconic moments I never thought I’d be filming. I just want to thank all of you for the continuous support, whether you liked, messaged me, shared the work, it means a lot.”

One of Pierre’s major accomplishments was broadcasting live the games of French (then) nineteen-years old prodigy Victor Wembanyama on the NBA app, back in November 2022, when Wemby was still playing with the Metropolitans 92 in Paris. Pierre chose the entrepreneur route early on, working in different fields. He started the second part of his still young career in the US, settling in Los Angeles in 2022. In 2023, he creates his Parisian media production agency HSK (hskagency.com) which already holds exclusive contracts with NBA athletes and other professional athletes.

His talent is organic. His pictures are iconic. On the courts, NBA players quickly noticed his talented eyes and discreet presence. He became popular. During this past summer, Pierre was busy travelling and working with Tony Parker, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jules Kounde, Nicolas Batum, to name a few. He flew to Italy to film and document the wedding of international basketball player Xavier Rathan-Mayes, with rotations back to Paris to work on games with Paris Basketball (where new French sensation Nadir Hifi plays).

Tony Parker invited him to immortalize his intronization to the Hall of Fame. Looking at the pictures makes you feel as if you’re standing next to Tony, sharing his historical and special moments.

“Tony, thank you for inviting me and allowing me to be around you and your family in one of the most important moments of your career. I'll cherish those moments forever. I never thought I’d be able to accomplish this, but you said it well in your speech: DREAM BIG! … 🙏🏼”

His images capture glimpses of reality mixed with dreams and unexpected moves. Colors and backgrounds take you into another dimension. Pierre’s passion and admiration for the players is reflected in his photographs. The black and white ones are Art and translate an array of different emotions.

“It’s a quick glance, an expression, a jump in the air.”

His gentle, generous nature makes him unique when he works on the court. Players look for his unique eyesight, they look towards the camera when the photographer least expects it.

Nicolas Batum, who played with the LA Clippers (now a 76ers) noticed Pierre’s talent early on. He loves his pictures and videos, and regularly posts them on his social media. Pierre also photographs other French NBA players, including the crew of new young draftees who are revamping the NBA with their dynamic and European IQ style on the courts.

The French connection with Venice Basketball League

Pierre stays close to his community, in Los Angeles Westside where he lives: he collaborates with the popular Venice Basketball League, Venice Beach pro-basketball team started back in 2006 by local French figure Nicolas Gaillard, a lover of the game. Originally created as a summer league tournament, it quickly turned into a popular competition, attracting top athletes. It includes an outreach arm with the Hoops’ bus, helping kids from underserved neighborhoods develop their basketball overall knowledge and skills. This summer, a women pro-league was created. Pierre brought his talent and expertise to filming and documenting the games and league activities, as well as mentoring new colleagues.

Opportunities come from everywhere. Chima Moneke, the 2022 BCL (Basketball Champion League) MVP (Pierre met him working the BCL in Bilbao), was at Venice Ball that summer before he got drafted by the Sacramento Kings. Pierre was able to film him and closely follow his successful debuts before the draft. The films are with Moneke, who preferred keeping those private moments for his family.

BOOM! The Victor Wembanyama online explosion

“The partnership between the NBA and the Mets 92 marked a turning point in my career. I was already based in Los Angeles when the NBA came to me, in October 2022, inquiring about streaming live the games of Victor Wembanyama with the Mets 92 (Boulogne-Levallois) on their app. They had noticed his meteorite rise and wide popularity thanks to his charismatic and mature personality.”

Thanks to Pierre and his team, Wemby’s games were shown live and free on the NBA digital app, easily opening doors to US households. An NBA superstar was growing in front of their eyes, through mobile screens and oversized HD screens- in the wake of the 2023 NBA draft and the upcoming Paris24 Olympics.

Pierre’s most prestigious and innovative work to date

Calling Los Angeles home since 2022, after spending time in New York and San Francisco, Pierre reflected how he started his journey as an entrepreneur teenager. From creating an initial NBA France website and his own streetwear fashion brand, Hoop Street, while in high school, to establishing a successful sports media production company (HSK agency) and finding his voice in freelance NBA photography and videography, among other activities.

How did you livestream Victor Wembanyama’s Mets 92 games on the NBA App?

“When the NBA asked me to find a solution to film Victor Wembanyama’s games in the US, I felt like it was the perfect time for me to take on the challenge considering he might be one of the biggest prospects in history”: LeBron James called him “an alien”, Stephen Curry said he gave off “cheat-code-type vibes", Giannis Antetokounmpo said, "I think he's going to be one of the best to play this game.””

(from Inside the decade-long plan to bring Victor Wembanyama to NBA glory - ESPN)

“With my production company in Paris, HSK agency, a team of three different videographers filmed every game to make sure the NBA received the content in real time. I was also managing NBA Europe social media for all games and flew back to France several times that season to attend six games, while filming and documenting Wemby’s last season in France. Six months and thirty games later, Victor had generated 350 million views on NBA platforms, making him the 8th most viewed player in the season!”

I have phenomenal partners who were behind the cameras. With their excellent work they filmed every highlight you saw of Wemby all year long. What we witnessed was historical! I wanted to make sure people knew who I shared the credits with: Rawel (Jordan Rao), Kévin Niang, Nicolas Leger, and William Bjibjou.

For The Love of Basketball… and California

Growing up in Dijon, Pierre comes from a family who loves sports. His brothers played semi-pro soccer and handball; his father had a successful career with Adidas. His mother, who was in Education, worked with disabled children. She was a big supporter and always showed up at her kids’ sports competitions. Pierre had Basketball in his blood. He watched NBA games at night, analyzing players moves and tweeting scores during his bus morning rides, posting in the “NBA France” Twitter account he created while in high school. Pierre admired many different players and Kobe Bryant was his favorite, his role model.

“I always went against the current when it came down to making professional and life choices.”

Driven by his strong passion for the game and work ethic, Pierre is always hopeful and positive. He believes in the human element, the power of connections. His open mindset comes from a mix of family values and curiosity of character, a thirst for learning:

“The excitement of sharing the love of basketball, creating with others, and desire to do something bigger than oneself, highlighting the work of those extraordinary athletes, their uniqueness. The opportunity for the public at large to discover new things.”

Those choices paid off. His natural business acumen and huge dose of curiosity paved the way for Pierre’s success.

As a youngster, his mother took him on a road trip exploring the Western United States, instilling in Pierre’s mind the taste for travels and discovery of new horizons. So much, that his dream of coming back to the US became a reality. His passion for California was born.

A few years after high school, Pierre took short trips to New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles to attend NBA games in person and experience life in those cities. He returned to France after those trips, during Covid time, in 2020. Covid isolation was a challenge for everyone. Living and working among the same four walls gave him a lot of time to think about his goals.

Pierre realized Los Angeles would be the ideal place to fulfill his dreams of living in the moment, on the courts, along the side of those extraordinary NBA players. So, armed with several years of NBA business and digital media experience, he decided to make the move to the US, and with the support of the NBA organization, earned a long-term visa to expand his work here in the US.

Were you born an Entrepreneur?

Pierre’s first steps as an entrepreneur started in high school: he created “NBA France” on Twitter (now X) back in 2016 and would stay up all night watching the games to share highlights, while everyone else was sleeping. When he initially set up “NBA France”, he didn’t think about the legal issue of rights infringement; the last thing on the mind of a sixteen-year-old student passionate about basketball!

His site was suspended about a year later, due to usurpation of identity. The NBA sent a notification to Pierre without providing any explanation. Pierre had been running it like an official account and he didn’t understand why it was shut down. So, he got in touch with the NBA whose offices were in London, and spoke with Tom Marchesi, Communication Director of NBA Europe back then. He asked Tom if there was a possibility to re-open the website; of course, Tom said “no, not really”. Pierre needed to do this differently.

He started all over again. With the site “Parlons NBA” on Twitter, then Instagram, he led its digital expansion and Pierre lifted the website rank to number two in traffic in the French basketball online community. He was then asked to lead the official NBA France online accounts. As the French Market specialist, he was solicited for his knowledge and connections with local NBA specialists.

When NBA social media executive Stephane Papin needed someone to replace him while away, his choice landed on Pierre. Stephane had noticed his work and was impressed. They initially met when Pierre was visiting London. Pierre was curious to see who was behind NBA Europe, which offices are based there. So, he just showed up! This was their first meeting. They clicked. But Pierre still went through four rounds of interviews, and his English was a beginner’s level back then. However, he impressed Stephane and little by little, Pierre handled bigger projects until he was working full time with NBA Europe. Stephane and Pierre went on to develop a tight partnership.

From NBA France to NBA Europe

Pierre was a precursor: he created the first “unofficial” NBA France twitter account when it didn’t exist. Back at the London NBA offices, when Pierre met Tom Marchesi (communications director), they spoke in French! “Bonjour Pierre!” Tom says. Pierre didn’t understand since they always communicated in English on emails. He found out Tom is originally from Bordeaux, with deep French roots, and thought that it would have been so much easier to write emails in French! They had a long conversation. Pierre explained how he was the one who had created that suspended account. Thanks to his experience and talent, Pierre started working for the NBA, from freelancer to full-time, and quickly became a key figure within NBA France and NBA Europe.

Fashion Designer: from Hoop Street to showcasing at Colette in Paris!

Pierre started his Streetwear clothing company in 2016, Hoop Street. He managed everything, with the help of his family and close friend Matthieu. He has fond memories of how he designed the logo at his grandmother’s house. He used to send samples of T-shirts to his NBA contacts; several players loved the style and wore them. NBA player Aaron Gordon, who played with Orlando at the time, was among the first clients. Pierre would attend basketball practices to display new merchandise and see how athletes would respond to it. That’s also how he connected with Alexandre Lacazette, French former soccer player, who played for Arsenal and Lyon. Alexandre became another fan! Maintaining the brand was challenging given the need for high investments, for the manufacturing and distribution activities. Even though the brand was small and specialized, they were sold at “Chez Colette”, one of the most famous concept store brandings in the world, a prominent large upscale boutique in Paris. When Colette retired, she decided to close the store after twenty years of existence. This marked the official ending of Hoop Street.

“It was a beautiful experience, the adventure lasted for two years. It was too difficult to pursue, and sometimes that’s okay. Maybe it’ll come around again, one never knows the route life takes you. I’m not abandoning the idea of having my own brand in the future. We stopped operations, and we still give our leftover clothes to charities, with the help of players traveling abroad and visiting youths’ organizations like in Sénégal for example.”

Full-time work and first NBA clients

In 2017, Pierre leaves university and starts working with the NBA as a freelancer. To make ends meet, he takes a job at Zara, he will be working there for two years. At the same time, Pierre decides to go back to university, giving a last stint towards a college degree. He enrolled in the language science department, thinking this would expand his knowledge in digital communication. However, the classes were about the origins and concepts of the language, its theory. He was surrounded by people studying the science of languages. It was not about online language communications and marketing! So, he stopped college.

“I was breaking the code”. While his brothers finished college, he went the entrepreneur route instead, pursuing his passion. Working at Zara was interesting but could not provide him with what he was truly looking for. Pierre was still working on his NBA activities, watching games at night. Keeping the rhythm was intense but it was a good school of life. Ultimately, he had to make some choices. Pierre left Zara in 2019 and took advantage of his free time to travel to the US to watch NBA games in person. He also traveled around the world, to Marrocco, Amsterdam with his mom, and to London with his friend Matthew. He also spent time in the States and made new relationships.

2019 was the year when Pierre got his first NBA clients. Professional basketball player David Holston, worked with Pierre in Dijon, Pierre's hometown. David plays with the Dijon professional basketball club and was MVP in 2019. Pierre loved watching the basketball games live, being there with the players, shooting great pictures, being part of the live action.

“I realized I needed to be doing this daily. This lifestyle needed to become part of my everyday life.”

2020: Covid comes around

In February 2020, Pierre got a big opportunity in Paris when he was offered the job of community manager for NBA France, a newer concept back then. At the same time, Pierre was working the LNB (League National of Basketball) opening in Paris. He connected with Michel Mimran, General Manager of the French Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB), who previously handled marketing for the Paris Saint Germain soccer team. He accomplished many things in the sports’ world in France. They met early March in his office:

“I’m open to having you freelance! Please come to Paris once a week, we’ll send you to the games, you can work from Dijon the rest of the time.” The goal was to develop the digital activity for greater exposure, hoping to increase the numbers of fans, getting basketball courts renovated, and hopefully building new courts to play.”

The pay was attractive as well. For a young employee like me, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. So here I am, full of excitement and energy with this new job as PAF! Covid shut down happens… I quickly understood everything was coming to a stop. Like a slow-motion movie. I only had about two months of savings. Then, all NBA activities came to a freeze.

“I was in complete isolation, like most of the rest of the world at that time. In France you couldn’t see your family for two to seven months. Videos and social media were a savior, the only opening to the world and people. It was a difficult time, mentally and physically.”

In July, the NBA announced it was going to start again in a bubble, bringing back glimpses of hope…

By early October 2020 things were slowly re-opening. I was still working with the LNB virtually. Working from home was challenging, feelings of loneliness and isolation. “Get used to it!” my mind was telling me. I worked a lot during that time and was already thinking of moving to the US. I met Sean Garnier, the World Champion of Free styling foot. Sean, a super talented athlete, has about 6M followers on Instagram. We worked on a project together, and then he became a client. I left on vacation that Summer, also working with him in Dubai, where he lives, during confinement time. I kept on working until that following summer 2021.

August 2021 - I took a break from this crazy confinement, also spending time in Portugal with my best friend Matthieu. September was a transition period, with health challenges and a change of environment. I had accumulated so many things during a short period of time, my body said “Stop”. I needed a change. I was able to get out of this Covid induced depressed state proactively, with the help of a life coach. It allowed me to better understand myself, turning some of my characteristics into strengths.

September 2021. Something had to change.

I decided to buy a ticket to New York to see if I could do some things there on a more permanent basis. In France, it was a strange time. I was living between my hometown of Dijon and Paris. I tried to move into my brother’s place, a larger place than my Covid studio, but it brought back some difficult memories.

January 4th, 2022: New York City!

I left my entire family and landed in New York, alone, in January 2022. It was awesome and bizarre at the same time. Feelings hard to describe, but I wouldn’t change anything; freezing cold, minus 15 degrees Celsius, and I had just bought my first professional camera. I soaked New York City in. I was walking in Central Park and shot pictures until my eyes couldn’t fight the cold wind. New York was a mix of solitary moments and discoveries. Loneliness drifted away when my colleagues (and close friends) joined me for the basketball season: Rawell and Jordan were both filming the games. I was managing our clients while they handled videos and pictures.

We created a company focusing on games and players’ statistics, Viziball; FIBA signed a long-term contract with us. Rawell covered “Parlons NBA” social media while I worked on “NBA Europe”. Rawell was shooting his first NBA games but was already experienced in digital photos and videos. He taught me what I needed to learn in that domain.

“The New York culture is very different, special. It’s speedy and aggressive, in a good way. It’s raw and unique. It stays with you.”

We really saw that side of the East coast culture while playing in Recreation parks.

“NY basketball style is very physical, brutal, and cultural. It’s Street Culture. Hustle. Learning and adopting this behavior helped me in situations at the time. I remember the crazy temperatures.”

When Rawell left NYC to go visit his brother and his wife in Los Angeles, I asked “Can I tag in with you?” Yes! So, from NYC, we headed towards Chicago by train, via Philadelphia, final stop L.A. Stopping in Boston for the retirement ceremony of Kevin Garnet. I was back at it. Be Active, Don’t Stop. The trip was awesome. I thought we’d stay for a week, but we spent a full exciting month in the City of Angels. March was coming up, and that also meant my tourist visa was coming to an end. I had the phobia of returning to Paris. Will I move back to the US? I went back to NYC alone while Rawell stayed in LA.

I flew back to France, in Dijon. I already missed the New York vibrance and lifestyle. I couldn’t stay still. In less than a month, I got rid of my apartment, moved in with my father, and then flew to Dubai for a little time off. Back to Europe. I worked with the Basketball Champions League (FIBA) in Bilbao in May 2022 for the Final Championships. Still partnering with Rawell. Rawell and I are a team. I met tons of athletes at the Bilbao tournament, including Chima Moneke. I’m still in touch with many. Players I’ve known either before, or the new ones I was meeting, those relationships enabled me to build a network, some becoming clients in due time.

A One-Way Ticket to the US: Dreams do come true.

I knew the U.S. was the place for me, in my heart. So why not go for it? In Paris, I asked the NBA organization if they could sponsor my working visa application. The director of Communication, Tom Marchesi, wrote me a letter himself and signed it. I was so excited. I applied quickly and received a request to appear at the US embassy for a visa interview, on March 31st, 2022. “How long have you been working with the National Basketball Association?” the woman who was interviewing me asked, I then realized it had been six years already! “Okay, It’s good!” she said. “Come back next week to pick up your visa.”

A week later, back at the American embassy in Paris, I was finally holding that small piece of paper in my hand and thought “it’s good, you got it!”. As I was exiting through the door, I realized all the hard work and path traveled had been worth it. I chose to forgo college as I worked full time with the NBA. I earned a long-term US Visa!

“I’m living proof that everything is possible. Working hard, doing things against the norm, and becoming successful, yes, that is possible.”

Typically, working for the NBA and living in the US are two things that are difficult to do for a European if you do not have a college degree, or a parent who already works in the organization.

“I was so proud of myself and everything I had accomplished.” This is all I wanted: coming back to the US, but even better I just won a five-years Visa. Summertime was coming up, there’s not much going on with the NBA during that time. We went to Bilbao for the BLC. in May 2022 we went back to the Conferences. We saw the Warriors and Mavericks. I saw the finals in San Francisco. I fell in love with San Francisco during my two months stay there.

The Adventure with Venice Ball

Back in LA, summer of 2022. An incredible way to start a business relationship in this town, kind of improbable, was the way I met Nicolas Gaillard, popular and loved creator of The Venice Beach Basketball League. I reached out to him via social media having faith in a response. Today, thanks to the internet, so many people are connecting every day. Nicolas and I are both French, lovers of the game, and share a vision of bringing the game to as many people as possible. I asked if they needed an experienced photographer and videographer for the summer. He said “As a matter of fact, yes, we do! Here’s my number, call me and we’ll FaceTime! We are renovating the San Diego complex this weekend. It's Thursday today, if you’re interested, just come with us on Saturday for the weekend.” The opportunity knocked at my doorstep.

The following Friday, I jumped on a bus from L.A., destination San Diego! I started working on Saturday, and then I continued for the entire Summer. It was super intensive, a lot of players, and we met Chima Moneke again. He was voted MVP, the best player of the game back in Bilbao and received the FIBA Trophy 2022. Our mission was to document his story, his trajectory, his debuts. Moneke signed in August with the NBA with the Sacramento Kings! We witnessed on film his beginnings until he was drafted, but Moneke preferred keeping this unique film private, for his family.

Moving around the Globe

Pierre goes back to France during the Summer 2022. August is the quiet season for basketball. September is spent traveling in Turkey and doing work for the BCL before returning home and relaxing with family.

September 2022 - Back in L.A. for the NBA season, “I went to Lakers and Clippers games. I would choose the games to go to as many as I could. The NBA asks to go to matches where it makes sense for the European market to have a local rep. For example, the Clippers had a French heritage night (when Nicolas Batum was still there), so I would work both the French and NBA angles.”

“During the NBA season, I traveled a lot; it was an exciting time. When the opportunity to broadcast the games of Victor Wembanyama for the NBA App arose, I managed all aspects from A to Z. Starting November 2022 I expanded many miles across the Atlantic to take care of the shootings. This was my first season full time on site.

Taking Risks and Facing Challenges - Reflections

“My entire life I did things outside of the norm, flowing outside mainstream. I started working at a very young age, pursuing my passions, and taking risks. I was the only one in my family not doing the college route. I tried!

Even though self-learning has its challenges, I was able to travel the world, meet incredible professionals and athletes, learn about different fields. Loneliness is part of the experience, when facing big changes, moving countries. But I was following my calling, outside of society’s norms and beliefs.

Sometimes luck shows up at your door. Being in the right place, at the right time. I was prepared. I became an online community manager at a time when that job was still fairly new. Working relentlessly and focused, I turned the “Parlons NBA” Twitter site into the second largest audience in France. Mixing business skills and NBA knowledge, that was a great time for building experience and expressing my creativity.

In the early years I had to work a regular daytime job to pay bills, when I worked at Zara. The clothing industry was familiar to me, I had created my own design label Streetwear in high school, Hoop Street. My fashion brand lasted almost three years. We can still get it started somewhere down the line. Opportunities always come up!

“I took the windy road before everyone. I was able to pave the way for others.”

Many young people are experiencing similar situations that I’ve lived during my beginnings and would love to hear my story. Back then, not many 18 years old created a fashion brand on their own. I started Hoop Street from home with the help of my best friend and family. I could not learn from anyone else’ story back then, there were no examples. I did it all alone. At a very young age, I accomplished something that was new, in a successful and tangible way.

I feel like nowadays, I can help the younger ones, give advice, guide them. It’s a long way between my first steps, and the last ones. Many challenging times. But in the end, I always knew what I wanted, I held on, I knew I could do it. And it worked!

Today I still work with NBA Europe and freelance as an NBA photographer and videographer. I consult with FIBA. I partner with Venice Ball. I work on new and various projects with my company, HSK media production. I enjoy helping and showing the ropes. At Venice Ball, those 19, 20 years old local young, see a European working professionally with the NBA, are impressed; they think “If a European can be successful at it, a local (American) can as well for sure!” They are inspired and motivated. I am grateful to transmit my Savoir-Faire a la francaise😊.

Words of Wisdom: starting in the NBA business

Understand yourself first, know your qualities, and drawbacks. Know that your weakness can also become a quality. Think positive. Both are instrumental to your success. I had to work on myself to realize how I could use my softer personality traits to my advantage.

Learn to cultivate the sense of observation. Observation allows you to move safely in your environment, and to recognize how your surroundings and people work. You learn some codes useful to work with people. I observe quite a lot.

Anyone can do it and become successful if you hold on to your goals and dreams. Stay determined. Be curious. Don’t hesitate to meet people. Social networking is a great way to meet new people and communicate.

Focus on human relationships. Opportunities come from connecting with people. I took advice and learned from everyone. Stay open. Part of curiosity is discussing with different people. My close friend and partner Rawell taught me about shooting photos, filming. He showed me how to do it, we met at the right time, and became great friends, we connected.

In my surroundings, in LA where I live, I met friends, we grew close, and we pull each other up.

Stay True to Yourself. You will end up connecting with people who think like you, exchanging the same kind of energy, sharing similar values. My clients, my athletes, always know the real me, the core person I am. I am understanding and generous with everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a famous athlete, or a regular folk, I stay myself with each person. Celebrity athletes are also like any other human being.

Sacrifices are part of the game to reach your goals. For me, it was not going out, missing out on social outings, missing the fun. Instead, I would stay home and work. The Alchemist – I like this book. I want to live my dream and prepare myself for the rest. People need simple things in life. They have goals that are simple and more meaningful.

Envision your future: Allow yourself to be ambitious. I always dreamed of coming back to America the first time I came to California.

Giving back

The future for me includes giving back to my community. I want to share my knowledge and guide people in learning new skills so they can improve their craft and become successful. I’m excited to inspire, mentor, and educate.

I believe the future lies in democratizing teaching, thanks to the newest digital technologies, making it available to all people across the globe at an affordable cost. Especially in the US, where the price of education is often so high.

Writing a book is part of my vision: showing athletes’ pictures and the unique story behind the shots. The important thing is to keep growing, evolving, manifesting the things that you want.

“My path is not typical, but it’s proof that realizing your dreams happens and accomplishing your goals is feasible. My passion for basketball led me places I could not have dreamed of when I was a kid. When you start working in this field, US basketball seems so far away from daily reality in France, it seems unreachable. It’s the American Dream, an attractive cocktail of different mixtures that you want to taste! “

I am a product of my environment, growing up surrounded by US basketball culture with magazines and videos that me and my brothers devoured. We watched tons, listened to American music, and idolized Kobe Bryant. I was ten, thirteen years old at the time. Kobe was a role model: he would never give up. Non-stop working. Then came Lebron James, Tony Parker with the Spurs, and many more… I grew up during these times, and it modeled my trajectory.

The Olympics! Paris 2024 and LA28

It’s always an honor meeting and photographing the NBA athletes I grew up watching. I am particularly excited to discover their human side, understanding what motivates them, their personalities and challenges faced to succeed in the NBA circuit. For example, I love Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns) and his outlook on life. I would love meeting and spending some time with him to get to know him better and understand what drives him.

The future? My production company HSK keeps me busy with different clients in Europe and the US. I’m planning for the 2024 Paris Olympics, thinking about different disciplines I will film. I’m preparing for the field. Producing my best work. With an eye on the LA28 Olympics!

Thinking back about my early days in the US. I arrived in New York on a freezing Winter Day, walking in Central Park under tons of white snow. I just bought my first professional camera. The pictures I took that day will always be etched in my memories. My East coast experience was great learning, I wouldn’t change anything.

“Living in Los Angeles, it’s like a second life was given to me. Keep active and moving. “

One of my greatest inspirations is Kobe Bryant. He was my idol growing up. I adopted in my work habits his drive and ability to focus, no matter what was happening around him. One of my biggest regrets was not meeting him. During the 2019 season, we attended a Warriors’ game in San Francisco, instead of the Lakers’ one. We thought Kobe would not be playing, but he ended up participating and we missed him then. Shortly thereafter, his life was tragically taken as we know it, leaving the NBA world in a state of shock and deep sadness. I’ve always admired his strong and impeccable work ethic, his fierce spirit. To this day he remains one of the top athletes I look up to. Meet your idols!

Merci Beaucoup Pierre for sharing your passion and incredible NBA adventure!!!

Article and Interview by Isa Simon, Los Angeles

Twitter: https://twitter.com/isa33simon

Insta @IsaSimon

More about Pierre Haessig:

hskagency.com

Insta @Haessik

LinkedIn: Pierre Haessig