Victor Wembanyama arrived in the capital on Monday, January 20th with his team San Antonio, to play two matches against Indiana, this Thursday, January 23rd and Saturday, January 25th at the Accor Hotel Arena in Bercy.
Victor Wembanyama arrives in Paris and with him, the Wembanania that has surrounded him since his first steps as a professional basketball player. From Nanterre to San Antonio via Villeurbanne or Levallois, the French prodigy has shattered the barriers of his popularity.
Today, according to an Odoxa survey conducted for RTL, 56% of French people know Victor Wembanyama, whose popularity has gained 20 points in eighteen months, helped by a Dantesque final at the Paris Olympic Games against the American ogre.
79% of French people also believe that the San Antonio Spurs center will have a greater career than his illustrious predecessor in the French team and in the Texan franchise, Tony Parker.
Riner sur le parquet
“The way I approach this trip is my way of giving back to the French public, by trying to please many people who will never have the chance to go to the United States”, assured “Wemby”, Monday evening upon his arrival in Paris.
“It's a source of pride, but also a responsibility. On a sporting level, but also on a communication level, on the image of the Spurs, which has always been conveyed. But the most important thing remains the sport”, continues the French prodigy, aware that this trip represents more than just a basketball match.
For five days, Paris will live to the rhythm of the phenomenon. In an organization that only the major American leagues are capable of offering. Because alongside these two exceptional meetings, the NBA has set up a host of activities for the general public. Opening of a temporary NBA House in the heart of Paris, a major tournament of personalities that will mix show and basketball (with Teddy Riner on the court and Aya Nakamura as hostess), just to fill the time between two game nights…
“There is a real link between France and the NBA. We are also a big market in terms of TV, media exposure, marketing, t-shirt sales… We are a big market”, explains Jacques Monclar, the TV consultant for BeIN Sports (see also next page).
Fireworks
The previous events organized by the American league were ultimately only a prelude to what promises to be a real fireworks display. And the love story between Paris and the NBA could even continue since 2020, it seems to be gaining more and more strength.
The time when the young Michael Jordan was relegated to the tiny Geo-André hall in 1990 is long gone. Now, “Wemby” will fill two Bercy and he would certainly have filled many more if it had been possible.
“It's a lot of excitement. It was even a little surreal to see all my teammates in this arena where I spent so much time, smiled the Frenchman on Monday for his first training session in the hall where he started in Nanterre. It's a bit like two worlds colliding. For now, It's going well. In any case, it's really extremely pleasant. There's emotion.” There will be more all week.