NBA Game Paris 2025: “Giving people emotions is incredible”, basketball player Victor Wembanyama impatient to play in Paris

24 hours before his first match in Paris with the San Antonio Spurs against Indiana, (Thursday January 23 at 8pm), French basketball player Victor Wembanyama appeared before journalists from around the world gathered for the event in a pre-match press conference.

Six months ago, you were here with the French team for the Olympic Games. How does it feel to be back in this place? ?

Yes, there are still some decorations in the hallways, from the Olympics. And yes, it's nice to come back here. It's not just the Olympics. Of course, the Olympics were the last time, but even the times I played here before, it's a venue that's close to my heart.

Do you feel that the excitement is different compared to the United States? ?

I feel a different energy. I'm waiting to see what game days will be like around the venue. I haven't been out much in Paris. I haven't had the chance to see it with my own eyes. It's different. We know it's a different fanbase than the one in the US. Here, these are fans who wait their whole lives, all year, to have the chance to see an NBA game. It's different.

On Monday you trained in your old venue in Nanterre, you saw people again. Were you able to switch to the game? ?

More and more, yes. We are here a few hours before the game. And we are after training. So yes, it is certain that we are in professional mode. It is just the right way to approach our responsibilities. After you see me very focused but I think it is just that we are after training. I am always focused on the game.

From a sporting point of view, how important is it to perform in these two games against Indiana? ?

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It is very important, like all games. It is a difficulty in the NBA, but what is very interesting is that we have a series of games. You have to be focused all the time for each of them. The state of mind you get into after several dozen games in a season is that you don't even think about two games in advance. You're always on the next one, and you forget the last one very quickly too. Even if it's in an incredible context for me, it's my responsibility to go to my team and my coaches. That's it, I'm fully focused on everything tactical.

Can you tell us how your game has evolved after more than 100 games in the NBA ?

I have more serenity, I think. I know that I'm not there yet on certain points, I'm working on that, but I knew where to go in the offense, where to go in the zones. Because in my first 100 games, I tried a lot, and I don't regret anything, because learning comes from a lot of mistakes. We had to try things. And on defense, we adapt to the opponents' hesitations. It's like in a game of chess. We try to anticipate what they're going to do. I gained a lot of experience by watching the guys. And in general, I feel stronger, and more physically capable.

You took your teammates out to eat at a nice restaurant on Monday night, that’s something Greg Popovich (the legendary Spurs coach currently in rehab after a stroke) would have done. Did you talk about that? ?

We talked about that, he had his script here, and I know he would have done something like that too. Doing that on the first day was important to me. It was a welcome to my team, and to show them, because I know if I went to their country or their city, I would have liked to know where they’re from, to get to know them better, because they’re all good human beings. It’s a real chance to share these moments together.

Thanks to you, the Spurs have signed a lot of collaborations with France, what does that represent??

It highlights the impact we can have as NBA players. It reminds me of the responsibility we have to take to do our best, to have a positive impact. In general, giving emotions to people and uniting them, it’s incredible. I try to share these moments with my fans as much as I can, because it nourishes me. It helps me.

How do you deal with all this attention on you?

I try to take it as a gift, it's a big responsibility, but playing in the NBA was my dream.