PARIS – If the NBA wanted to give the people of France the real fandom experience, Saturday’s game completely accomplished that mission.
After San Antonio beat Indiana by 30 on Thursday in the opener, the tables were turned on Saturday when the Pacers beat the Spurs 136-98.
In many ways, that’s the most authentic NBA experience anyone could hope for. What’s more real than ebbs and flows, ups and downs, and, frankly, variable performances?
While Parisians would obviously have loved to see Spurs dominate once again with hometown hero Victor Wembanyama dropping another 30-bomb, that’s not a realistic representation of where the second-year star is in his career.
The fact that the Spurs experienced wild highs and crazy lows is strangely a great unifier for their growing fan base in France. Additionally, after the conclusion of Saturday’s game, Wembanyama shed light on what it’s really about.
“This week was incredible,” Wembanyama said as an opening statement at the post-game press conference before taking questions. “I was just seeing my family. I’m not trying to get emotional, but everyone did their job to make this week amazing.”
Wembanyama failed in her quest not to be excited with red eyes and her voice cracked slightly.
“I did everything I could to make this week special for my team, for my family, my friends,” he said. “But people still found ways to surprise me, make things seem like they cared, and I cared. So it’s priceless.”
His deep appreciation for his nation’s constant rack of love betrayed his attempt to keep his face stoned, and we are all the better for it.
The 21-year-old has been busy this week with, well, everything. He’s taken his team out to dinner, hosted basketball courts, gone to numerous news conferences, made appearances at NBA events and, oh, he’s played two regular-season games as the featured player carrying the burden for a nation with more than 68 million people in their Lean back.
For this young man to not show fatigue and exhaustion at a press conference after his whirlwind and 38-point loss is exactly what superstars are made of.
Like this two-game series, Wembanyama’s career will likely reflect it. There will be unimaginable peaks, devastating valleys, and a middle ground where you will have to find some level of comfort just to survive the daily grind that is the NBA.
As for his game, he leaves Paris with an average of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. For 99.9% of NBA players, that’s good enough. For Wembanyama, there is certainly a lingering feeling of not having done enough, mainly due to the fact that his potential is limitless.
That passion for the game? That desire to constantly do more? That burning feeling of defeat that fills your inner being with more motivation?
I couldn’t be more French even if I tried.
Victor Wembanyama is the future of the NBA. And everything he showed in Paris is why.
(Tagstotranslate) Victor Wembanyama (T) NBA (T) Spurs (T) Paris (T) Pacers (T) Myles Turner (T) San Antonio (T) Indiana