🏀 Wemby Takes a Trip Home

Victor Wembanyama had a smile as big as his wingspan yesterday as he opened up two brand new basketball courts in his hometown.

The Spurs are in France this week as they will play a pair of games against the Indiana Pacers as part of the NBA’s International tour this season. Their star, Victor Wembanyama, feels right at home in Paris.

A few months back, Wemby went to Spurs general manager Brian Wright and discussed the possibility of putting in some new courts in his hometown in France and unveil them during their trip. While many just assume Wemby is from Paris, he is actually from Le Chesnay, a smaller town about 12 miles west of Paris.

It was a big ask, there was many things to get done. Even the mayor of his hometown didn’t think it could happen. The space he selected had old courts, a design needed to be created, approved, and built. It was the rainy season in France and it was not good construction weather, so that was a nonstarter. His hometown is close to the Palace of Versailles, so building anything at all is a problem. But what Wemby wants, he gets.

The town is traditionally a equestrian, handball, and racing town, but now, it’s a basketball town, and it finally has the courts to support it. A full 5×5 court straddled by a 3×3 court, with a Spurs logo and a nod to the famous clocktower of the city sit in the middle of the court. Yesterday, Wemby revealed the fresh new playing surface to about six dozens children, while parents and locals watched from the stands. It was a beautiful moment.

All of this is part of the Spurs ‘Play Paris’ initiative, designed to create a hub around basketball to inspire the next generation of athletes and showcase the power of sports to bring people together. The Spurs have always had a big foothold in international basketball over the years, and this is just another moment in the franchises great history.

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