Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will head back to France for a regular-season game against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 14, 2027, the NBA announced. After playing in Paris, both teams will travel to Manchester, England, for a second regular-season matchup on January 17, 2027, marking the first time Manchester will host an NBA regular-season contest. The two-game European swing underscores how central Wembanyama has become to the league’s international growth strategy, with the 7-foot-4 French phenom headlining the NBA’s overseas expansion plans just three years after being drafted first overall in 2023.
The return to Paris will be Wembanyama’s first regular-season game in his home country with the Spurs. San Antonio previously played a two-game series in Paris against the Indiana Pacers in January 2025, when tickets for both matchups were snapped up quickly. For the franchise, it will be the sixth regular-season game in France and the 10th and 11th games in Europe overall. The Pelicans will be making their first appearances in both France and England, and their third and fourth games in Europe.
NBA managing director for Europe and the Middle East George Aivazoglou said the games reflect “the strong momentum we’re seeing for basketball and the NBA in France, the UK and across Europe”. Spurs CEO RC Buford called it “an incredible honor to make our return to France and play our first-ever game in England,” noting the organization’s vision to unite a global audience through unforgettable experiences. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said the team is “always looking forward to expanding the game and being part of the cool process of being able to play outside the country”.
The European trip will extend beyond the games themselves. The NBA and the teams plan youth basketball clinics, coach and referee development programming, interactive fan events, and community impact engagements in both cities. Earlier in the 2025-26 season, the Spurs debuted “Spurs Week Paris” to bring elements of their business and fan experience from San Antonio directly to French fans, including a retail pop-up shop, court renovation, free youth clinics, and a professional development program for French women working in sports.
The announcement also arrives as the NBA and FIBA are deep into plans for a new league that could start play in Europe as early as the fall of 2027, with Paris and Manchester both on the list of cities expected to have teams. Wembanyama, who was named the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season, led the league in blocks across his first two campaigns despite being shut down early in his second year while dealing with deep vein thrombosis. His return to Paris in 2027 will come just months after he helped France to a silver medal at the Olympics.
