Wembanyama's Spurs would like to return to Paris

San Antonio and France, a long history. From Tony Parker to Boris Diaw, via Nando De Colo or Ian Mahinmi, the Texan club has often relied on French talents. In fact, the Spurs have, for a long time, had their sights set on the international scene under the leadership of Gregg Popovich. “We have a great international relationship, France in particular. It’s great to bring our new team to enjoy the international heritage”notes the CEO of the Alamo City franchise, RC Buford, during a press briefing with a handful of journalists this Wednesday in Bercy.

Obviously, San Antonio is now led by another French player, a certain Victor Wembanyama. “The first time I saw him was in May 2019, in Cholet. It had a big influence on our reconstruction strategy”he emphasizes, affirming that Wemby, impressive in “maturity”is already “became a leader” and even “a great mentor for our young players!”. And to add, on what impresses him the most about the 21-year-old French prodigy: “We see something new every day with him. There is always a “wow” moment caused by the players, ours and those of the opposing teams. Off the court there is the way he connects with people, his relationship with friends and family, his maturity, his passion for the game, life, he wants to be great and puts in the work. There is a reason for all this: work. Its impact? We see it every night, the respect that the players have for him, the opponents, but we also see it in the votes for the All Star. His game speaks for itself.”

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When will Pop return to the bench?

For Wembanyama, this trip to Paris, with the matches against Indiana on Thursday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.), is an opportunity to reconnect with his roots and present his country to his teammates. For the NBA, this is a fantastic marketing operation. What about San Antonio? “It’s an expensive trip. But the goal is to show the community in France that we are here to last and build relationships. Our goal is to continue to be present in France. We are talking about programs with PSG, Maison Spurs, through Victor. We have a big international brand thanks to our international players, that gives us the opportunity to go even further”explains Buford, recalling that the NBA recently authorized clubs to sign contracts outside the United States. And San Antonio did not wait for the NBA Paris Games to seize the opportunity, particularly in the French market.

One thing is certain: the club with five NBA championship titles could see itself returning to the capital in the future. “The NBA has a very clear vision of how it wants to grow the game internationally. We always told them that we like to play abroad. Every time we have an opportunity, we want to be there. We met the management of PSG on Tuesday. We will raise our hand whenever we can. Plan ? It’s up to the league to decide, we are at their disposal”slips RC Buford, who however does not know when Gregg Popovich, victim of a stroke at the end of the year, will be able to return to the team. “He is attacking his rehabilitation with the same resilience he has always shown. He is making progress. I don't know if we can put a date. I can't predict what's going to happen.”he evades. One thing is certain: the San Antonio Spurs will be hard at work Thursday evening and Saturday on the boards of the Accor Arena.