"It's very possible that he'll be the face of basketball. Not just NBA basketball, but world basketball," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

Victor Wembanyama is back in Paris with the the Spurs for the NBA Paris Games 2025. NANTERRE, France (AP) — Officially, Indiana will be the home team on the scoreboard when it plays San Antonio in Paris on Thursday. The Pacers know better. They will not be feeling right at home.

Amid an impressive sophomore NBA season with the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama has made a significant commitment regarding his future.

I just want to underline that this week was amazing,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said after Saturday's game versus the Pacers.

Thursday's game was proof of concept. Wembanyama will soon be the NBA's signature star, and sending him to Paris for a few games every year is a chance to build one of these signature events around his growing fame and eagerness to please his hometown audience. His presence made all of the difference on Thursday.

Victor Wembanyama was already a global basketball icon at a young age. With his height, length, ball handling, and shooting ability, he was considered the best prospect since LeBron James. Many people speculated that he would attract a large number of fans.