Saturday, late afternoon. There were a large handful of fans waiting for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs at the foot of the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendômeone of the most prestigious hotels in the capital, located rue de la Paix. Dressed in loose, faded jeans and a blue fleece jacket, “Wemby” waved to the crowd, thanking them for their welcome, before jumping on the bus to the Accor Arena .
“ It was a bit of a treasure hunt.”laughs Arthur Soulard, 27, from Nancy. “Since the start of the week, I was looking for the Spurs hotel to hope to see “Wemby” and scratch a photo or an autograph. I didn't succeed but I will remember this moment for a long time because in addition to being an excellent basketball player, he exudes a rare sympathy for an athlete of his caliber. »
Comparable to Michael Jordan's tour in the 1990s, “Wemby Week” at the end of January 2025 was intense and rich in emotions. One week ” amazing “ And “unforgettable”in his own words.
From his arrival on Monday at 1:30 p.m. with the Spurs until his return to Texas at the very end of the evening on Saturday, the kid from Nanterre 92 was welcomed like a rock star. Everywhere he went, he was acclaimed, saluted and applauded, both for his performances on the Parisian boards and his commitment off the court.
“I would like to be remembered as a person who never took shortcuts, who never wanted to go too fast, as a person who was loyal, hardworking and innovative“, he notably confided during one of his numerous press briefings throughout the week.
A “Wembamania” with French sauce
Even more than at the Frost Bank Center, numerous Wemby jerseys – his No. 1 with the Spurs or his No. 32 with the Blues – filled the aisles of a sold-out Accor Arena and almost entirely acquired from the Texan cause during the two meetings against the Pacers. A real “Wembamania” with French flavor swept over the French capital for a week.
“He had even more pressure than at the Olympics and he handled it perfectly”recognizes Brian Windhorst, one of ESPN's star journalists. “This week in Paris was like a sort of All-Star Game in miniature and even more powerful than the Olympics, because the whole event was built around him. When there are big expectations placed on him, he always meets them and that's one of the reasons why he is so special.”.
At the center of the game and the attention, Victor Wembanyama likes to cultivate an image of a high-level athlete close to his community of fans and tries to remain the “Mr. Everyman”, an accessible and available young man. Despite his status as a new star, “Victor will never change”hammered several of his former coaches throughout the week. From a Louis-Vuitton fashion show, the LVMH luxury brand owned by billionaire Bernard Arnault, to a Paris Saint-Germain Champions League match, including the inauguration of two basketball courts in his native town of Chesnay and a quick stop at the kebab shop “Le 129” in Nanterre, “Wemby” has multiplied its appearances all over the capital.
“There is a kind of mystique around his person because he is both very friendly with fans but at the same time, very secretive about his personal life,” says Julien Brossard, 36 years old, unconditional Spurs fan.
Hang it in the Louvre ️#SpursInParis pic.twitter.com/dlojfa0kr4
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 25, 2025
Amidst his schedule as a minister, Victor Wembanyama also made time for his youngest fans. After his training on Tuesday, he stayed on the field for many minutes to tap the ball with 80 young people in U13 and U15 from Nanterre 92 and Levallois as part of the “NBA Cares” program. Microphone in hand, he took the opportunity to give valuable advice to these budding basketball players, calling on them to “trust”, “to have fun and be yourself on the pitch”. Before concluding: “Do what you want”.
Thanks to the @spurshas @nbacares and to our dearest @wemby for our young people and these already unforgettable moments! ✨ pic.twitter.com/lgq5SR9mnW
— Nanterre 92 (@Nanterre92) January 24, 2025
This closeness displayed with children is not new. “ It is truly a great power held in the palm of the hand”he said, already, in September 2023, during the preview of his documentary “UN1QUE” broadcast on Canal+. “That's why I try as much as possible to take the time, even two minutes, when it's for a kid on the sidelines. For me, it may be the thousandth child I will see, but for him, it will be the first and surely the last time he sees me. It's a responsibility. »
The face of the North American league
Above all, the 2.24 m Frenchman has transformed into a VRP for the Spurs and the NBA. Affable in front of the press, perfectly bilingual and a good communicator, Victor Wembanyama was the muse of the North American league during this escapade in the “City of Lights”, much more than a simple standard bearer.
Third most viewed player on the League's social networks and second best-selling jersey in Europe behind LeBron James, “Wemby” confirmed his new status, a year and a half after crossing the Atlantic. “Being a star comes with great responsibilities”recalls Spurs maestro Chris Paul. “And truth be told, Victor is the kind of guy who wants to sign all the autographs…”
Adam Silver and NBA leaders understood this well and took the opportunity to increase marketing and promotional operations on the French market, especially among fans who were unable to afford one of the precious tickets to attend one of two matches that all passed within 24 hours.
On the sidelines of these two matches relocated to the French capital, the NBA took over the Carreau du Temple in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, transformed into a basketball temple for the occasion. Shooting competition, 3×3 match, photo booth with the Larry O'Brien trophy… The Grande Ligue took advantage of the Frenchman's growing notoriety to try to reach a wider and rather young audience in a “street” atmosphere, à la Parisian sauce.
The Texan franchise is not to be outdone, as it has set up an ephemeral “House of Spurs” in the 4th arrondissement, a “fan shop” where current players and former legends of San Antonio have taken turns.
In addition to a t-shirt in the colors of Spurs and PSG sold in the Qatari club's store, the Spurs have multiplied culinary partnerships, Cyril Lignac's pastries offering 100% Spurs XL marshmallow bears, when Pierre Hermé has revisited its pink macaroon called “Ispahan” with the spurs logo.
“Soon, he will make the Eiffel Tower sparkle in the colors of Spurs”laughs Parisian Mohammed Sifaou, who spent “several hours at the NBA House to fully experience the North American experience”failing to have found places.
For Victor Wembanyama, these different initiatives to cultivate the Spurs brand “mean a lot” and emphasize “the responsibility and importance that[il] can have as an NBA player ». The Alamo City franchise, which also launched its social networks in France just before arriving in Paris, intends to continue to develop its links with France. The president, RC Buford, also affirms that the Spurs “have lots of ideas to return to the community of Victor Wembanyama, [tout] by promoting basketball ».
Huge hype
“Wembamania” with French sauce is also and above all a huge media slaughter. Even more important than an All-Star Game, 624 accreditors, with 24 countries represented, covered the event.
French and American journalists, of course, but also Danish, Italian, Spanish and even Polish. Two hundred and fifty of them rushed onto the Accor Arena pitch on Wednesday, once the doors opened for the first training session open to the entire press.
On the French side, “celebrity” media – Gala and Paris-Match – which are not used to covering basketball, had privileged access to the side of the field to take photos and film the exploits of the stars of the week . Requested by media from all sides, Victor Wembanyama only granted three interviews. One for the 8 p.m. news on TF1, another for the France Inter morning show and a last one for Scrooge Magazineof which “Wemby” was a younger reader. “I had never done a children's magazine,” recalls the main interested party to DNA of Sports, at a press conference. “These interview choices correspond to the desire to present myself to the French public on the most stage, in environments that correspond to me and that speak to me. »
In Paris,
