PARIS (AP) — The first huge roar from the crowd came before the match even started. All Victor Wembanyama needed to do to whip the Parisian fans into a real frenzy was, it turned out, to say hello into a microphone.
The cheers that followed lasted about 30 seconds.
Welcome home, Wemby. For the first time as an NBA player, Wembanyama played Thursday in his native country — the star attraction of this two-game series between San Antonio and Indiana, a series that ends Saturday night.
“Tonight was definitely different,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a different kind of support from the crowd. We try to use the circumstances to our advantage every time, and tonight was an easy night to take advantage of that.
The sold-out crowd was not disappointed. Neither does Wembanyama. He had an incredible game – 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, five blocked shots – and the Spurs won 140-110, San Antonio’s second-largest margin of victory of the season and Indiana’s second-largest margin of defeat.
Countless fans showed up wearing Wembanyama jerseys. All his jerseys, of course. Spurs jerseys in at least three different colors. France team jerseys. The jerseys he wore when he played in the French championship. NBA games are very important all over the world, but this was different. It was a homecoming and a celebration.
“I would just say it’s a pleasure to be in a league with Victor Wembanyama,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said before the game.
Wembanyama received – by far – the loudest ovation during the presentation of the starters. When his face appeared on the scoreboard’s video screens during the French national anthem, the building simply roared. He won the first tap to start the game; another roar. He missed the first shot of the match, letting out an audible groan. There weren’t many for the rest of the trip.
“It’s not easy to stop him,” Indiana guard Bennedict Mathurin said. “We do what we can. But he’s really good.
It wasn’t the Spurs-Pacers. It was Wemby and a lot of other guys. And if there was pressure, Wembanyama — the league’s reigning Rookie of the Year and likely an All-Star this season — didn’t seem fazed.
“The ovation that was given to him was obviously very, very emotional, just in terms of reflecting what this city and this country and these people feel about him and he feels about them,” the coach said. Spurs interim Mitch Johnson. “There are some games where you don’t need to motivate the guys, as you say. It was one of them.
Spurs knew before the game that Wembanyama was ready. Harrison Barnes revealed that Wembanyama took over the musical selections from the team’s locker room. He chose French artists.
“He was excited for today,” Barnes said.
Poor baby boomer. He’s the Pacers mascot. It’s a blue, hairy thing. Part of his in-game duties include wearing oversized mittens on his hands and encouraging fans to clap in defense. This usually works wonders at Pacers home games, which this game technically was, at least on paper.
Boomer was foiled several times on Thursday. Cheering for him, you see, meant fans would have cheered against Wembanyama’s Spurs. This won’t happen. Not in Paris.
Technically, this could have happened once. Wembanyama made a spectacular block late in the third quarter, and if it had counted, it would have been his fourth in as many possessions. The crowd obviously didn’t see referee Zach Zarba make a gesture for the goalie, so the basket counted – and it was the only Pacers basket that the French crowd cheered.
“I thought it was a great environment,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I don’t know what Victor said before the match, but whatever he said, it worked. They played a great match. Victor is a great player. France should be very, very proud. It is one of a kind. It’s once every I don’t know how many generations that a player like this comes along. Just breathtaking, the things he does.
Carlisle is right, of course. Everyone is often impressed by Wembanyama. Except Wembanyama. He doesn’t get caught up in highlights or hyperbole. He insists he only wants to win.
“Tonight I am proud of my team,” Wembanyama said. “It was perfect. It was a perfect evening. We won and we won the right way.
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