Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA's 4th and 5th regular-season games in Paris.

It won't happen, and nobody knows when — or if — Popovich will be back on the Spurs' sideline. Popovich's absence is a glaring one in Paris this week for the pair of NBA matchups between the Pacers and Spurs on Thursday and Saturday; he's back home, recovering from a November stroke.

Wembanyama was born and raised in Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, a western Paris suburb, and has made it a focus this week to introduce his teammates to Parisian culture and the life he led before he became the NBA Rookie of the Year and likely next face of the league.

Officially, Indiana will be the home team on the scoreboard when it plays San Antonio in Paris on Thursday. The Pacers know better.

A meeting with the Indiana Pacers in Paris on Thursday afternoon might just end up feeling like a home game for the San Antonio Spurs. Plenty of fans at Accor Arena will be rooting for Frenchman Victor Wembanyama,

The Pacers will likely have to contend with a crowd that will be rooting for the Spurs in both games. With Victor Wembanyama playing in his home country, most fans will be rooting for him and San Antonio. Indiana still feels good about their chances to win both games. They have been playing too well not to be filled with a ton of confidence.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the San Antonio Spurs vs. Indiana Pacers NBA game to be played on January 23, 2025 on ESPN.

The high octane glitz of NBA basketball will descend on Paris on Thursday night as the San Antonio Spurs - who feature the French star Victor Wembanyama - take on the Indiana Pacers in the first of two regular season games.

At least that’s what the San Antonio Spurs will attempt to do after going 3-7 in their last ten games and getting blown out in their last three. A trip to Victor Wembanyama’s homeland in Paris, France could be just what they need to right the ship.