On Thursday, Victor Wembanyama made a big return to Paris.
The San Antonio Spurs star, who grew up outside of Paris and played in the French basketball league for five years, came back to France this week for a game against the Indiana Pacers. With the home crowd cheering him on, Wembanyama helped lead the Spurs to a 140-110 victory over the Pacers at the Accor Arena.
The 21-year-old center was welcomed by loud cheers from the French fans.
Wembanyama didn’t disappoint, delivering an exciting performance with several key plays as the Spurs built their lead.
After trailing for most of the first half, the Spurs took the lead just before halftime. In the third quarter, they scored 45 points, leaving the Pacers unable to catch up. The game ended in a 30-point win for San Antonio.
With the game under control, Wembanyama and the other starters sat on the bench for the last few minutes. As he did, the fans in the arena started chanting “MVP.”
Wembanyama finished the game with 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 blocks.
Veteran guard Chris Paul praised Wembanyama after the game, saying he played really well under pressure. “This is one of the best complete games I’ve seen him play all season long.
With the expectations, being at home, in front of all his family and friends, in front of all you guys, some guys could get lost in the game and start maybe doing too much or not, but I think he played a great game (at) both ends of the court,” Paul said.
Wembanyama has had a busy week in France. On Tuesday, he opened two outdoor basketball courts in his hometown of Le Chesnay. On Wednesday, he attended a Champions League game between Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, where PSG won 4-2.
On Thursday, he capped off a great performance with a big win for the Spurs in his hometown.
In his postgame interview, Wembanyama said the energy from the crowd helped the Spurs win. “It’s a different kind of support that the crowd brings. We tried to use the circumstances to our advantage every time, and tonight was an easy night to use those in our advantage,” he said.
He also expressed pride in the moment. “I felt proud of us, proud of myself, proud of being French,” Wembanyama said. “It just confirmed what I thought was gonna happen.”
Wembanyama and the Spurs will face the Pacers again in Paris on Saturday, this time as the official home team.
