A meeting with the Indiana Pacers in Paris on Thursday afternoon might just end up feeling like a home game for the San Antonio Spurs.
Plenty of fans at Accor Arena will be rooting for Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who already has established himself as a superstar after being selected first overall by San Antonio in the 2023 draft.
“The way I approach this trip is my way of giving back a little to the French public, trying to please many people who will never have the chance to go to the United States,” Wembanyama said. “It’s really important to me.”
It hasn’t been all that long since Wembanyama took the court in his native country, as he was a member of Team France at the Paris Olympics this past summer. Still, Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson realizes that the 21-year-old phenom has a special opportunity in front of him.
“I’m sure there’ll be people at the game that haven’t seen him play in a long time or typically maybe never have,” Johnson said. “You know, hometown kids get to see you … maybe they’ve never been to an NBA game. So, I know there’s a lot of things, not to speak for him, that I’m sure he’s looking forward to and that are unique in a very, very cool way for him to connect.”
San Antonio has been off since Sunday, when Wembanyama collected 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 128-107 loss to the Miami Heat. Devin Vassell paced the Spurs with 23 points in the setback.
Indiana realizes that it won’t be backed by the crowd on Thursday, but Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is eager to play in a hostile environment as his team continues to find its footing.
“We had a hellacious schedule at the beginning (of the season), probably in large part due to the Paris trip and everything being compressed,” Carlisle said. “That’s challenging, but it hardens your resolve and makes you tougher.
“What do they say about pressure? It bursts pipes or it makes diamonds, and you hope that is the kind of thing where it can bring out the best in us. So, we’re doing some good things and we’ve got more work to do.”
The Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference finals a season ago, went through a pair of three-game losing streaks and a four-game skid before the calendar flipped to January as part of a rocky start to the 2024-25 campaign. However, they have recently found a groove, going 8-1 in their past nine games.
Pascal Siakam finished with 21 points and was one of six Indiana scorers in double figures in a 115-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. Myles Turner recorded a double-double (18 points, 11 boards) as the Pacers overcame a rough night from Tyrese Haliburton, who had only nine points on 4-of-11 shooting.
Paris isn’t all that foreign to Haliburton. Like Wembanyama, he spent a portion of his offseason at the Olympics, helping the United States men’s basketball team reach the gold-medal game.
There, the Americans topped France 98-87 in the same arena that will be the site of the battle between Indiana and San Antonio on Thursday. Haliburton did not play in the Olympic final but has been chasing the feeling of winning a championship ever since.
“It’s a very special thing to be part of a special group of people and man, it’s been a blessing,” Haliburton said. “I think the biggest thing is once you start to feel what it’s like to win a little bit, once you feel the importance of success, you want more of it.”
The Pacers and Spurs also will play each other in Paris on Saturday before returning to the United States.
–Field Level Media
