The San Antonio Spurs are in France for the week as they play two contests against the Indiana Pacers as part of the NBA Paris Games. The trip is a homecoming for the Spurs’ biggest star, and Victor Wembanyama unveiled two basketball courts in his hometown of Le Chesnay (a suburb just 10 miles from the heart of Paris) on Tuesday.
Wembanyama was in attendance for the unveiling of the courts, as was Spurs legend and Hall of Famer Tony Parker, who played 17 years for San Antonio and is the president of Wembanyama’s former French team. The project was a co-effort between Wembanyama and the Spurs, who helped finance the construction of the two outdoor courts, one that supports 5-on-5 play, while the other is built for 3-on-3 matchups.
“For those of you that don’t know, this started in a room with an idea,” San Antonio general manager Brian Wright said via the Associated Press. “And I remember watching Victor going on a whiteboard and literally drawing every single detail of the court that you see today and putting his heart and soul into designing this court for the children to play on. It speaks to how special you are and how special this is to you, so thank you, Victor.”
Wembanyama’s designs features elements taken from the Spurs current uniform, as well as the clock tower in Le Chesnay.
Dozens of kids got to witness the unveiling of the two courts, with Wembanyama making the ceremonial first basket, an alley-oop dunk with the help of several of the kids there.
“Truly incredibly to be here in my hometown,” Wembanyama said to those in attendance. “This court is for you because it was a dream of mine to have these kind of courts when I was living here.”
The basketball courts are part of the Spurs “Play Paris” initiative, which aims to “reflect the Spurs deep-rooted connection with France and commitment to positively impact the Parisian community.” In addition to the courts, the Spurs are holding seven youth basketball clinics in France while the team is there.
“The Spurs ‘Play Paris’ initiative isn’t just about building a court, it’s about creating a vibrant hub for the community that honors Victor’s journey and his commitment to giving back,” Spurs CEO RC Buford said in a statement. “This renovated space will hopefully inspire the next generation and showcase the power of sports to bring people together.”
