Victor Wembanyama will be the center of attention this week as the Spurs and Pacers play 2 games in Paris.
The San Antonio Spurs (19-22) and Indiana Pacers (24-19) will play in the NBA’s fourth and fifth regular-season games in Paris, marking the first time that the NBA will play two regular-season games in the French capital in the same season.
- Thursday, Jan. 23 (2 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
- Saturday, Jan. 25 (12 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Homecoming: Victor Wembanyama is not just playing center for the Spurs, he is the centerpiece of the Paris Games as this marks his first NBA games back in his home country. Wemby starred with Metropolitans 92 in the French capital before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Spurs and going on to win Kia Rookie of the Year honors.
The Moment: The Paris Games 2025 coincides with incredible momentum around the NBA in France and throughout Europe. No country outside of the United States and Canada has produced more NBA players than France, including a record-tying 14 in the 2024-25 season. With Zaccharie Risacher’s selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, France became the first country outside of the U.S. to have consecutive No. 1 overall picks. Paris is also coming off hosting the 2024 Olympics, where basketball drew the spotlight with a pair of thrilling U.S. vs. France gold medal games.
The Matchup: The Spurs and Pacers head to Paris as two teams heading in opposite directions to start 2025. The Pacers are tied for the NBA’s best record of the new year (8-1), while the Spurs are just 2-6 since the calendar flipped to January. Entering Week 14 – just after the regular-season’s midpoint – the Pacers sit fifth in the East, while the Spurs are 12th in the West.
Indiana: Led by a pair of two-time NBA All-Stars – Pascal Siakam (20.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Tyrese Haliburton (17.9 ppg, 8.8 apg) – the Pacers have bounced back from a slow start to the season (10-15 through 25 games) as they look to build on last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Haliburton, who was part of the U.S. Olympic team, said he looks forward to returning to Paris: “I’m just excited to be back. I think everybody knows we’re going to Paris to play San Antonio, who obviously has the face of France on their team. So, we’re going in there, probably not a ton of cheers and support for us but that’s OK.”
San Antonio: With 19 wins through 41 games, the Spurs are just four wins shy of surpassing last season’s total as they seek their first postseason play since 2019. Wemby – who sits fifth in the most recent Kia MVP Ladder – leads the Spurs in points (24.4), rebounds (10.8), blocks (league-high 4.0) and 3-pointers (3.2).
San Antonio’s top six scorers are all 25 or younger, while veteran point guard Chris Paul leads the team in assists (8.2).
The History: The NBA Paris Games 2025 will mark the NBA’s 96th and 97th games in Europe and the 14th and 15th games in France – including preseason and regular-season games.
Here is a complete list of regular-season NBA games played in Paris:
In addition to playing games and growing the game in Paris throughout the years, NBA players have explored the city and taken photos in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower – a tradition Wemby is looking forward to extending.
Wemby Eiffel Tower pic coming 🔜
Before the Spurs & Pacers play in the next edition of #NBAParis games, Wemby took a look at iconic photos from player visits to France!
1st of 2 Paris games takes place on Thursday, 1/23 at 2 PM ET on NBA TV 🍿 pic.twitter.com/oO0JRP9eX1
— NBA (@NBA) January 18, 2025
How To Watch: Fans from 53 countries and territories have purchased tickets to attend the games, a record for any NBA event anywhere in the world. For those not inside the Accor Arena, Thursday’s game will air on NBA TV and Saturday’s rematch on ESPN for fans inside the U.S.
Internationally, the Paris Games will air live on beIN SPORTS, Canal+ (free-to-air) and NBA League Pass, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 50 languages on television, digital media and social media.
