"It's very possible that he'll be the face of basketball. Not just NBA basketball, but world basketball," said Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs’ new master plan were immediately planted.

While in Paris, Wembanyama has chosen to focus on engaging with French media to help connect with the French audience. His three exclusive interviews were all with French companies, including Picsou Magazine — a children’s magazine he used to read when he was younger.

Victor Wembanyama reflected own the "amazing" week that he and the San Antonio Spurs had after they competed in a pair of NBA games in his home town of

Victor Wembanyama praised as "mature young man" for his ability to remain focused while juggling commitments for Spurs.

The main events start Thursday when Wembanyama and the Spurs take on the Indiana Pacers in the first of two games in Paris. The rematch is Saturday, both happening at Accor Arena, the same building where Wembanyama played in the knockout round of the Paris Olympics last summer when he and France wound up losing to the U.S. in the gold-medal game.

While Wembanyama was kept in relative check on Saturday, his thundrous performance on Thursday featured 30 points on 13-for-21 shooting, 11 rebounds, six assists, five blocks, and one steal. Safe to say, the fans got their money’s worth.

Frenchman Victor Wembanyama cannot prevent the San Antonio Spurs from suffering a resounding loss to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA in Paris.

Tyrese Haliburton's 3-point barrage and the Pacers' full-court pressure helped Indiana beat the Spurs by 38 in Paris after Thursday's 30-point loss.