JUNE 24, 2023 — Long legs in stride, Victor Wembanyama made his way up the small steps of the makeshift stage taking up the key of the San Antonio Spurs’ home floor at Frost Bank Center.
It was his introductory press conference. He was coming straight from the riverwalk — with enough time to change into much more formal attire — and already fans were showering him with love. He had just finished high-fiving and shaking hands with those in attendance at the Spurs’ arena as every camera in the room was fixated on him.
Flashes clicked, phones appeared and a general sense of awe filled the space.
He was going to have to get used to that.
As Wembanyama reached the top step, his outstretched arm was already long enough to shake the hand of his general manager. So, he did. And whether it was reaching for Brian Wright’s hand, showing his fans love or blocking shots, stretching his arm out was also something he’d have to grow accustomed to.
For the rest of the season, every time the rookie would emerge from the back tunnel, home or away, he’d be met with hands. Young fans. Adults. Friends. Family. No matter the circumstance, he was always going to be the center of attention.
Wembanyama was well aware of that fact. The French phenom knew where everyone’s eyes would go as soon as he stepped into a room, but as his eyes scanned the arena floor, taking in the rows of chairs and empty net on the other end of the court, he took his seat. He didn’t even see the biggest spectacle on the stage.
Not at first, anyway.
Things look a lot different for Wembanyama now than they did when he was a teenager in France.
Back when he was growing up, it was clear that basketball was his goal. From watching Tony Parker and Boris Diaw — two other Spurs legends that paved the way for his home country to begin a long-lasting relationship with the San Antonio-based team — to growing to be nearly seven feet tall at 14-years-old, the Frenchman was destined to standout in a crowd.
But apart from his height, he wasn’t quite the superstar off of the court the way he is now. In fact, according to French journalist Benjamin Moubèche, passing him on the sidewalk was a normality.
“At the beginning, it was like that,” Moubèche said. “He was able to work in the streets, but as the season continued, everybody started to know who he was. I will say, (however) that he gained a new status by just coming to the NBA and being a star there.”
Moubèche had been following Wembanyama for an entire season before he made his way to San Antonio. He was there when the Spurs star faced off against now-Portland Trail Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson for the first time in a G League Showcase. He was there when the Frenchman nearly led his team to a championship before being swept in the best-of-five series.
And the biggest difference from then to now?
The amount of media availabilities.
Still wearing his game shorts and a white sleeveless undershirt, Wembanyama stepped up to the podium and sat down with a contemplative stare in his eyes after losing a franchise-worst 18 straight games on Dec. 13. This particular time, it was at the hands of the LeBron-James-less Los Angeles Lakers.
The Spurs rookie took a look around and muttered one word: “Hey.”
Two days later, and the same player would sit down in the same chair in front of the same crowd and mutter the same word. That particular night, his team would be feeling the “addictive” effects of winning after knocking off the Lakers with James back on the floor.
Wembanyama would hide a grin before addressing the media — something he knew came with the job — and he’d be interrupted a few times by Keldon Johnson yelling and a loud speaker blaring music. That night, he’d be a winner. But this night was not that one. Tonight, he was a loser.
As he was queried about the game and his team’s loss to Los Angeles, his answers were as straightforward as the questions being asked. There wasn’t much of a story to be told other than the fact that the Spurs had fallen short. Again.
The room’s stale aura was indicative of that.
But, instead of hiding in the locker room where only a select few reporters could reach him long after the game’s final whistle, Wembanyama made himself available to the entire room. He fielded questions, answered professionally and left just like any other night. Win or lose.
That’s what made the difference.
“(His) interaction with the media is a bigger thing,” Moubèche said of Wembanyama. “He was never talking in France. You know, he went from maybe two press conferences a year to something like 60.”
Yes, there were nights when Wembanyama didn’t take the podium, but that was seldom the case. More often than not, the rookie was the one speaking on behalf of his team. He was the face of the Spurs’ consistent failures; he knew he had to be. If he wanted to be “good at everything” the way he proclaimed he would be, he’d have to take accountability on the bad nights.
Unfortunately, he had a lot of those in his first season with San Antonio.
Alas, that was the NBA life.
“More than the physical side, what’s really hard is the mental aspect,” Wembanyama explained in February just a few days before the All-Star break. “Being present on the court every day … it’s not always easy.”
Wembanyama had to adjust to playing a different style of basketball in the United States than he did internationally — a difference other foreign stars like Luka Doncic have raved about — but more than that, he had to adjust to life in America from a cultural standpoint.
As he mentioned in his thank you message to San Antonio following the reception of his Rookie of the Year Award, Wembanyama grew fond of breakfast tacos in San Antonio. He also embraced the die-hard Spurs culture that manifested itself in horn honking and flag waving, but as he came to know, South Texas was much different than some of the other areas of the United States.
The comical part? His first exposure to America besides the limited time he spent in New York City for the NBA Draft was Las Vegas.
He didn’t like that very much.
Just a few days after landing in Sin City, Wembanyama was on the verge of landing in legal trouble, and not by his own volition, but rather unfortunate timing.
Entering a restaurant in Las Vegas near the ARIA hotel, pop star Britney Spears approached the 7-foot-4 rookie as he and his security team made their way to a table. Claiming she tapped the 19-year-old on the shoulder, Spears admitted to attempting to grab Wembanyama’s attention.
Only, given his status and situation having just landed in Vegas for the NBA’s annual Summer League, that wasn’t exactly a smart decision. Before they could register who was tapping Wembanyama, one of the rookie’s bodyguards allegedly backhanded her in the face, though a police investigation later revealed that Spears had “inadvertently” slapped herself as her hand was pushed away from Wembanyama.
“There were a lot of people calling me, obviously,” Wembanyama explained when asked about the incident the next morning. “One person was calling me but … I couldn’t stop. That person grabbed me from behind. I didn’t see what happened … I just know that security pushed her away.”
The altercation settled a few weeks later once the investigation resulted in a non-charge for the Spurs’ security team, but between that initial welcome and the rest of his time in Vegas for the remainder of Summer League — in which Wembanyama’s two appearances yielded lackluster results eventually leading to his “disappearance” from the media — the rookie had a not-so-strong start to his American adventure.
“I had so much s*** going on with the draft and with the media,” Wembanyama expressed following his final Summer League appearance where he tallied 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. “Two days ago was my first game … before (then), I had just two practices and one game,
“I was just getting going.”
Unfortunately for Wembanyama, the inevitably cut-throat nature of the NBA didn’t give him any wiggle room. If he was supposed to be the “next big thing,” he was going to have to show it in Game 1, and he didn’t. So right away, he had a fanbase of doubters.
Vegas saw it first, but in a turn of good tide for the rookie, it stayed there — as the saying goes. Wembanyama left Sin City with a sour impression, referring to it as the “closest thing” to an Earth dystopia. Funny enough, he’d be right.
Nevada has its own Eiffel Tower, after all.
Remember that spectacle from Victor Wembanyama’s introductory press conference?
The newly-minted Spur did see it eventually. As he sat down in his seat, he had to do a double take. It was already a known fact — for the internal organization, at least — that Wembanyama was a fan of LEGOs, so San Antonio made sure to give him a welcoming piece that he’d remember.
A replica of France’s Eiffel Tower was commissioned, assembled and displayed on top of four basketballs just to the right of Wembanyama’s seat. Once he saw it, he couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m really enjoying the moment,” the rookie explained, having been greeted with breakfast tacos from adoring San Antonio fans just a few days prior. “Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve been welcomed, and it’s warming.”
As Wembanyama made his opening remarks, it was clear that the rookie wanted to be there. Did he still have much to learn? Absolutely. But he was buckled and ready for whatever was ahead.
That now includes a trip back home.
Wembanyama was given his Spurs jersey that same day. He held it up, allowing media to take the first photos of him holding it, and later, the first photos and videos of him wearing it.
Having the replica Eiffel Tower there in the same room was a big deal as it was, especially given how proud the rookie is of his heritage and culture. In January, however, that’s set to take an even larger step. San Antonio is scheduled to play two straight games in Paris against the Indiana Pacers, giving Wembanyama the chance to sport his Spurs jersey in his home country.
Making that happen was, in short, a big priority for the NBA and its experiences team.
“Obviously, basketball is hugely popular sport in France,” Vice President of NBA Experiences Evan Bruno told Spurs on SI. “The league’s had a nice, rich history of a French players. There’s Wemby (now), but before him, Tony Parker. Boris Diaw. There’s been so many, so it’s an exciting opportunity to grow the game.”
Leaning into his French heritage wasn’t hard for Wembanyama, especially given the mentors he had almost instantly in Tony Parker. The 7-foot-4 wunderkind even has a photo of him at 9-years-old wearing a Parker jersey. Adding in the Spurs’ rich history of foreign talent in general, and the pairing was a perfect match. The NBA certainly recognized that.
“This year, with the addition of Victor coming home I think is just fantastic,” Bruno said. “It’s going to be really cool.”
More than giving the Spurs rookie a chance to play at home, however, the league made it a point to consider the fans in their decision-making process. They saw bringing the Spurs to Paris almost as a reward for the country’s long-time support of American basketball.
“I think it was a concerted effort to reward a lot of the French fans who have been very dedicated to the NBA and have been great fans for years,” Bruno explained. “Now, they get the opportunity (to see the Spurs play) not only once, but twice.”
A reward? How so?
Well, hosting the NBA is certainly a big deal for any atypical location. When the league goes to Mexico City, fans flock to the arena to watch. When its countless stars participate in the Olympics for their respective countries, it becomes almost a game to see which stars can beat the others.
With Paris, the concept remains the same. Only, as the first-hand accountant will tell you, the basketball put forward in France by the NBA just hasn’t been exciting.
“We love to have the NBA in Paris,” Moubèche said. “But the teams that we’ve had, were not that good. We had the Bucks and the Hornets, so that was a real one-sided matchup. We had the Cavs and the Nets — decent teams — but not that good of a game.”
“Then, we had the Bulls and the Pistons, which was a really awful game, to be honest,” he added. “So, people are excited to have like a really good basketball game (between the Spurs and Pacers) and to have some star players that they know well.”
Until now, the league hasn’t quite had a reason to favor one team over another when creating a global matchup. Wembanyama brings a clear allure to any game he plays in, let alone one in front of his own fans, who have likely felt seen as the foreign NBA landscape continues to grow.
As far as the Spurs go, they’re overjoyed to get to play two games in France. It perfectly fits their mission of expanding and connecting to fans on a greater level shown by their yearly matchups in Austin, as Brandon James explained.
“(We’re) about meeting fans where they are,” the Spurs’ SVP of Strategic Growth told Spurs on SI. “No matter where you are in the world, you’re a part of our family.”
France certainly fits the bill, and now, its fans will not only get to watch Wembanyama, but they’ll get to do so twice — marker that Bruno says was influenced by fans’ ability to get themselves to the arena for each matchup.
“We added the second game so people aren’t priced out of seeing their favorite player,” he explained. There’s now two opportunities to see Wembanyama (and the Spurs) instead of just one. Simple math (says) that is going to make it better for fans.”
The fans do play a huge role in this entire operation. Playing games in France was going to attract fans no matter what, sure, but the big question the league had to tackle was how it could make the experience something novel. Something that they just couldn’t turn down.
“What we like to do is really tap into the DNA of the city,” Bruno said. “When you’re visiting Paris, there’s obviously some beautiful things to see — the Eiffel Tower being one of them. It’s one of the greatest symbols in the world. We wanted fans to experience a little bit of the city on top of the great basketball that they’re going for.”
As Wembanyama and the Spurs hits the floor at Accor Arena, the likely destination for their two matchups against Indiana, they’ll be just a little over five miles from the Tower — the real one. Fans and players alike will be in the heart of the city for basketball.
Naturally, that was a route to explore for Bruno and the league.
Ticket packages include a variety of outside experiences for fans to enjoy. Whether it be dinner near the Tower with an NBA legend, a picture with the Larry O’Brien trophy or even access to an after party with former basketball greats, the NBA made it clear that going to Paris was more than just basketball.
“This game has become a destination for our passionate fans across Europe,” NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said of playing in Paris. “(It) will build on the incredible momentum around basketball and the NBA in France and throughout the region.”
With new TV deals underway — the main one ending the NBA’s home on TNT — it’s been made clear that “momentum” seems to be the word of the year for the league. Adding another game in Paris, expanding the NBA Draft to two days and even the addition of In-Season Tournament this season are all clear examples of that.
It just so happens that Wembanyama is a generational talent to add to that momentum.
“We’ve never seen anything like him,” Bruno said. “And his talents on the court, those are one thing, but his persona off the court and what we’ve heard about him (off of it) have been nothing short of amazing. He is in every sense of the word a superstar.”
Wembanyama is a superstar. That much is undisputed. He’s a French superstar, now with a new understanding of American culture, which makes him even more unique.
As it does his homecoming.
There’s something to be said about Wembanyama and “coming home.”
Not much about his eventual return is truly a first. Wembanyama has played basketball in France, and at a professional level. He’s even played in the same arena as the one his Spurs will make their home for two nights — which certainly could be an advantage.
“He played in Paris for his last season,” Moubèche said, referring to Wembanyama’s final stint with Metropolitans 92 before making his way to the NBA. “He played in the arena where they usually do the NBA games, so I think that’s going to feel like home for him.
“That’s going to be extremely special.”
The memory Benjamin Moubèche will always remember happened on one of his first days on the beat.
As he entered the Spurs’ old training facility — the building was still being used while Victory Capital Performance Center was finished up — he instantly noticed all of the players, and more specifically, Wembanyama. The rookie, and all 88 inches of his astounding frame, were easily the center of attention. And not just for local reporters and news outlets.
“I remember him just taking the ball and dribbling around,” Moubèche said. “There were a lot of cameras around him … some were there from Mexico and some from Paris. Some guys just came in with one camera, shot (video of) him to show their friends.”
That was the effect that Wembanyama had. He was unique enough to warrant both national and international attention, and he knew it. So, the soon-to-be rookie decided to put on a show. Wembanyama took the ball he was dribbling to a little behind the half-court line, and given his body language, it was clear what he was about to do. He lined up his shot, and began his shooting motion.
“I was like, ‘Imagine if the ball rebounds and just goes on (one of) the cameras’,” Moubèche said. “Potentially some people are going to get to get fired over that … the loss of the images. That could have been a nightmare.”
But instead of turning into a nightmare, the circus shot went a way only Wembanyama could have made possible. A perfect ending to a monumental day.
“The ball just swished,” Moubèche recounted. “That I remember.”
Excitement and general awe might not have quite captured the sentiment in the room that October afternoon. Wembanyama wasn’t doing anything different than being himself, but it was enough.
And that was only the beginning of his journey with the Spurs. Since then, the rookie embarked on a journey of learning not only American basketball, but American culture. The day he introduced himself to the Spurs and its reporters at media day or at his introductory press conference, he was as new to them as they were to him. Not anymore.
Now, he’s a seasoned American basketball star with a slightly different way of carrying himself. Being in the United States gave Wembanyama a chance to bridge it with France, and he’s set to return the favor by going back in the form of a San Antonio superstar, bringing American fans with him across the bridge that he’s built.
Requital.
“It will be big for him to come back and show everybody what he has become,” Moubèche said. “For example, I’m just a journalist, but I’m proud to think that I might come back with the team next year … and (then) be able to see my friends when I’m back in Paris. That’s big for for me.
“For Victor? A lot of people are waiting for him to come back. … I’m not expecting the crowd to cheer for both teams. It’s going to be like a Spurs game. … I think that’s really huge for him.”
The idea of Wembanyama bridging a gap between his culture and his newfound home makes sense, but the latter part? What exactly does that mean? What has Wembanyama become?
Well, for that answer, it takes one more story.
FEB. 29 — Chet Holmgren fell down and sat just inside the 3-point line at Frost Bank Center before he even processed what happened.
The fans in the arena, fresh off of the fifth installment of a 5-game losing skid after the All-Star break, hit their feet and cheered as loudly as they had all-game long. For them, in that moment, watching Holmgren fall like so as a result of a full-hand block from a jumping Wembanyama was like Christmas morning. All season, the Oklahoma City Thunder rookie had rivaled San Antonio’s own, taking Rookie of the Month awards over him multiple times to begin the season.
Holmgren didn’t antagonize the Spurs directly, but he didn’t need to. Anything that could prove Wembanyama’s superiority over the 7-foot-1 center was going to be that way for the Spurs’ fanbase.
Wembanyama had just finished nailing a step-back 3-pointer on his end of the court as he made his way in a backpedal to play defense. Reading a switch off of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander allowed him the perfect position on Holmgren as the center began to try and shake him.
It didn’t work. Wembanyama rose up at the same time Holmgren did and got his hand on the ball with enough force to send it back, and with it, Holmgren to the floor. If it wasn’t already decided, that was the moment that secured the Rookie of the Year award for him.
“He obviously is not afraid to put himself out there,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “He will take shots and he is not afraid. He is not worried if he misses it or what the consequences are or anything like that. He likes those moments.”
That Wembanyama did. And if further proof was needed, his in-game reactions proved it.
The French phenom was bragging — and quite a bit. He stared down the Thunder’s bench after his 3-pointer and clenched his fists in celebration after stuffing Holmgren, which wouldn’t be worth bringing attention to if he hadn’t aquired that kind of behavior from the United States.
That’s how Moubèche described it, anyway.
“He gained five years of experience on … and off the court in just one year,” he said of Wembanyama’s first season in the NBA. “That’s probably the biggest thing, but I would also say he is really more American than before.”
More American? Apparently so.
“Before the NBA, (Wembanyama) was really speaking as a French guy,” Moubèche said. “He was modest. In Europe, we don’t like people who are too honest, or who will brag. I don’t know why.”
“But Victor has embraced that because that’s part of American culture. To be able to say ‘I’m the best,’ or ‘I’m going to beat Chet Holmgren’ and ‘I’m going to be a champion in a few years.’ He really has grown in that way … he’s become more American, and that’s a good thing. It really has grown a lot.”
Wembanyama entered the NBA as a 19-year-old kid from France. He had no idea how to navigate being a national superstar, let alone handle Las Vegas in the first few days of his visit.
That might have been an unfair way to introduce him to American culture, but he managed.
Now, he loves breakfast tacos more than anything. He jeers at opposing team’s benches and has learned to trash talk. He’s added words to his vocabulary. He’s learned.
When Victor Wembanyama laid eyes on the replica Eiffel Tower commissioned by the Spurs for his introductory press conference, a split second after he’d finished high-fiving and shaking hands with the fans in attendance at Frost Bank Center, he smiled.
His outstretched hand had already met Brian Wright’s, and the handshake the two shared was symbolic of the dawn that was Wembanyama’s tenure with the San Antonio Spurs. He smiled again.
Whenever the rising sophomore and his teammates make their way to France for two games next season, they’ll see the real thing. And when Wembanyama realizes he’s getting the chance to show his inherited brothers a piece of his culture?
He’ll probably smile then, too.
“I feel very lucky. It is going to be special,” Wembanyama said of playing in Paris. “It’s probably going to be one of the most intense and precious games of my life.”
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