Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Unveils Pair of Courts in Hometown Le Chesnay, France

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama unveiled a pair of outdoor courts on Tuesday in his hometown of Le Chesnay, France. The outdoor courts — one for 5-on-5 play, the other for 3-on-3 play — were built to the specifications that he wanted and sketched himself.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama revealed his custom-designed outdoor courts in Le Chesnay, France

Wembanyama and the Spurs are in France this week, playing back-to-back games Thursday and Saturday in Paris against the Indiana Pacers. Contrary to popular belief, Wembanyama is not originally from Paris; he’s from Le Chesnay — approximately 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of the city.

“For those of you that don’t know, this started in a room with an idea,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said, as about five dozen kids sat on the court in front of him and another 100 or so people watched from adjacent courtside seating.

“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.”

Ahead of #NBAParis on Thursday & Saturday, Wemby’s hometown of Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt unveiled a court in his honor! ❤️🇫🇷 @wemby pic.twitter.com/MqkXYejYfn

— NBA (@NBA) January 21, 2025

The courts are part of San Antonio’s “Play Paris” initiative. This program, led by Spurs Give, aims to inspire young athletes and unite the Parisian community.

“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,” said RC Buford, CEO at Spurs Sports and Entertainment. “This renovated space will hopefully inspire the next generation and showcase the power of sports to bring people together.”

Center court design is a nod to both the Spurs’ logo and the iconic Le Chesnay clock tower

Victor Wembanyama intended for the courts to be ready in time for San Antonio’s arrival. “Impossible,” said Le Chesnay’s mayor, Richard Delepierre. Much needed to go right for the former NBA Rookie of the Year.

In order for Wembanyama’s dream to come true, the old courts in that space had to be removed, and his designs had to be approved by city officials as well. Construction was also a tedious process, considering how close the courts are to the Palace of Versailles. However, that’s where Wemby wanted them.

The “Play Paris” court is officially open! pic.twitter.com/LWPThI48En

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 21, 2025

“Beyond his immense basketball talents, it seems that Victor possesses great qualities of art and a certain capacity for persuasion,” Delepierre said.

Construction was finally completed on Tuesday. The new nets were in place, and the kids peeled back a black drape to show off the center court design — which pays homage to both the Spurs’ logo and the Le Chesnay clock tower.

Victor Wembanyama even caught a lob for the ceremonial first dunk. “It was my dream also to have these kinds of courts when I was living here,” he said after the unveiling.