Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will return to Paris for a regular-season NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2027, the league announced on Wednesday, continuing the NBA’s European expansion and placing one of its biggest global stars back in front of a home-country audience. The matchup is scheduled for January 14, 2027 at Accor Arena in the French capital, before both teams travel to Manchester, England for a second regular-season contest three days later on January 17 at Co-op Live, marking the first time Manchester will host an NBA regular-season game.
The announcement underscores how central Wembanyama has become to the NBA’s international growth strategy. The 7-foot-4 French center, who helped France to a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, already played two games in Paris with the Spurs in January 2025 when San Antonio split a series with the Indiana Pacers. When he returns in 2027, it will be with further experience from NBA All-Star appearances and deep playoff runs, including a 2025-26 season in which he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and led the Spurs to a 62-20 record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
George Aivazoglou, NBA managing director for Europe and the Middle East, said playing games in Paris and Manchester reflects the strong momentum the league is seeing for basketball across the continent. The Paris game will be the NBA’s sixth regular-season contest in the city and its 16th game in France featuring an NBA team since 1991, while the Manchester fixture will be the 20th game in England involving an NBA team but the first regular-season matchup in the city. Both Paris and Manchester have also been discussed as potential markets for the NBA’s planned independent European league that could begin as early as fall 2027.
For the Spurs, the trip will be their 10th and 11th games in Europe, including their sixth in France and first in England. San Antonio CEO RC Buford called it an incredible honor to make the return to France and play the franchise’s first-ever game in England, citing the strong embrace from fans across Europe. The Pelicans, led by Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, and rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, will be making their first appearances in both France and England and their third and fourth games in Europe overall. Pelicans executive vice president Joe Dumars said the games provide a unique platform to showcase the team, its culture and the city of New Orleans to global audiences.
The league’s decision to feature Wembanyama again in Paris comes as he continues to elevate his profile on and off the court. In May 2026 the Spurs opened the Western Conference Finals with a double-overtime win over Oklahoma City behind a 41-point, 24-rebound performance from Wembanyama. His presence has made the Spurs one of the NBA’s most marketable international draws, and the 2027 Paris and Manchester games are expected to deliver unique experiences for fans, aspiring players and local communities while reinforcing the NBA’s commitment to growing the game globally.
