Victor Wemby unveils two basketball courts he designed in his French hometown

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama unveils two basketball courts he designed in French hometown: ‘A dream of mine’ he revealed.

The San Antonio Spurs are playing two games against the Indiana Pacers as part of the NBA Paris Games while they are in France for the week. The Spurs’ biggest star is making a homecoming trip, and on Tuesday, Victor Wembanyama unveiled two basketball courts in Le Chesnay, a suburb only ten miles from the center of Paris, where he was born.

Tony Parker, the president of Wembanyama’s former French team and a Spurs legend and Hall of Famer who played for San Antonio for 17 years, was present at the court’s unveiling along with Wembanyama. The Spurs, who helped fund the construction of the two outdoor courts—one designed for 3-on-3 play and the other for 5-on-5 play—co-ordinated the project with Wembanyama.

“For those of you that don’t know, this started in a room with an idea,” San Antonio general manager Brian Wright said via the Associated Press. “And I remember watching Victor going on a whiteboard and literally drawing every single detail of the court that you see today and putting his heart and soul into designing this court for the children to play on. It speaks to how special you are and how special this is to you, so thank you, Victor.”

Wembanyama’s designs incorporate elements from the clock tower in Le Chesnay and the Spurs’ current uniform.

The two courts were unveiled in front of dozens of children, and Wembanyama made the ceremonial first basket—an alley-oop dunk—with the assistance of a few of the children present.

“Truly incredibly to be here in my hometown,” Wembanyama said to those in attendance.

“This court is for you because it was a dream of mine to have these kind of courts when I was living here.”

In order to “reflect the Spurs deep-rooted connection with France and commitment to positively impact the Parisian community,” the basketball courts are a part of the team’s “Play Paris” initiative. In addition to the courts, the Spurs are holding seven youth basketball clinics in France while the team is there.

“The Spurs ‘Play Paris’ initiative isn’t just about building a court, it’s about creating a vibrant hub for the community that honors Victor’s journey and his commitment to giving back,” Spurs CEO RC Buford said in a statement.

“This renovated space will hopefully inspire the next generation and showcase the power of sports to bring people together.