Jalen Duren finally joins Detroit Pistons in Paris after ‘losing passport’ ahead of Bulls showdown

Pistons rookie Jalen Duren joined up with his teammates in Paris on the eve of their NBA Europe game against the Bulls after solving his passport issue.

Duren was a notable absentee in a photo taken of Detroit’s squad in front of the Eiffel Tower earlier this week, and The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III soon reported that he was in fact stuck in the US after losing his passport.

Detroit chiefs were said to be working hard on getting him into France ahead of Thursday’s showdown with the Bulls, which takes place at the Accor Arena, and those efforts finally paid off one day out from the game.

The 19-year-old was seen greeting his fellow Pistons stars during their training session at Salle Marcel Cerdan on Wednesday, having put his passport nightmare behind him and made it into the country.

Duren (L) was stuck in the US after reportedly losing his passport before their flight to France

Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether Duren will even be involved on Thursday given he missed the Pistons’ last five games with an ankle injury, which many suspected was the reason he did not originally travel with the team.

He was seen taking part in some on-court work upon arrival after missing practice on Tuesday, though Detroit are yet to release their injury list.

Having only arrived in the French capital one day out from the game, Duren is unlikely to start at center against the Bulls, with Isaiah Stewart expected to line up instead.

Duren’s presence could well be missed on Thursday, however, given his 332 rebounds lead all rookies and are the third-most through 39 career games in team history.

It is unclear whether the Rookie center will even be involved on Thursday given he missed Detroit’s last five games with an ankle injury

But he was seen completing some on-court work upon arrival at training on Wednesday

The Pistons first round draft pick – who was taken 13th overall in the 2022 NBA draft – is also tied with Utah’s Walker Kessler for the most double-doubles among rookies with eight.

The NBA has returned to Europe this week for the first time since January 2020, when Paris also hosted a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thursday’s showpiece promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Detroit, who sit second from bottom in the Eastern Conference with a 12-35 record, looking to bounce back from two straight defeats against the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks. 

As for the Bulls, they find themselves in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, boasting a 19-24 record, and warmed up for the Paris Game with an impressive 132-118 win over the Golden State Warriors at the weekend.