From pioneers to Paris: How the Spurs shaped the NBA's global game

On the 23rd and 25th of January, two NBA games will be held in Paris, featuring the Spurs and the Pacers. While it is evident that the decision for San Antonio to participate in these games leverages Victor Wembanyama’s presence to connect with local fans, there truly was no better team than the Silver and Black to headline this event.

San Antonio has always been at the forefront of international scouting

Throughout history, the Spurs have been pioneers in bringing international talent into the NBA, particularly during times when this was far from the norm. In 1989, they signed Yugoslavian Zarko Paspalj, who, despite limited minutes, opened the door for foreign, and especially European, players to see the NBA as an achievable dream.

A decade later, San Antonio made an unconventional yet history-altering move by selecting an Argentine of Italian descent, Manu Ginobili, with the next-to-last pick of the 1999 draft.

This decision was so unexpected that even Tim Duncan reportedly questioned coach Gregg Popovich, asking, “Did we really sign this guy?” Two years later, the Spurs drafted Tony Parker, the first European they selected in the first round.

The results of this trio—an unparalleled player from the Virgin Islands, a star from Argentina, and a leader from France—are now part of NBA legend.

Not only did the Spurs become a model franchise for international excellence, with more than 20 foreign players from countries like Australia, China, Italy, Nigeria, Serbia, and Turkey passing through their ranks, but they also inspired other teams to look beyond the local talent pool.

After winning their last championship in 2014, the Spurs initiated a tradition spearheaded by Matt Bonner, in which players took the Larry O’Brien Trophy to their hometowns for a week.

This “Larry Tour” spanned over 87,000 miles, visiting cities like Toronto, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Sydney, among others. Other teams eventually adopted this practice, further solidifying the Spurs’ role as innovators in the NBA’s global reach.

Today, the NBA boasts more than 100 international players, including superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

The fact that Victor Wembanyama, a Spurs fan who grew up watching Tony Parker, ended up in San Antonio feels like something out of a Hollywood script. That the Spurs are now part of the NBA’s week in Paris is nothing short of poetic justice.

Nearly 15 years have passed since the Spurs last played in Paris, then as part of a preseason strategy to engage French fans through Tony Parker. More than a decade later, history comes full circle, this time with Victor Wembanyama as the team’s standard-bearer.

In a much more globalized NBA, a transformation owed in no small part to the creativity and vision of the San Antonio Spurs, their presence in Paris feels both fitting and well-deserved.