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NBA to Play France, England Games; $1B Europe League Funded

5/21/2026

Summary

NBA Expands Europe

NBA announced that the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans will play a regular-season game in France on Jan. 14, 2027.
The same teams will meet in Manchester, England on Jan. 17, 2027, marking the city’s first NBA game.
Victor Wembanyama will become the first French-born player to appear in an NBA game on French soil.
Investors pledged at least $1 billion for NBA Europe, which aims to launch a 12-to-16-team league in 2027-28.

Summary

Wembanyama Fuels Frenzy

The January 14, 2027 Spurs-Pelicans game is being billed as one of France’s premier winter sporting events.
French fans are expected to generate unprecedented ticket demand because the “Wembanyama effect” is driving record-breaking enthusiasm.
Local media call the game a cultural milestone that could accelerate basketball’s popularity across the country.
Organizers anticipate the event will become a fixture on the French sporting calendar, rivaling traditional football fixtures.

Summary

Spurs Lead

Spurs lead Thunder 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals, with Game 2 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Victor Wembanyama will play for the Spurs in Paris and Manchester with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
Pelicans roster includes All-Stars Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray and rising talents Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
Games will air live in over 200 countries with tickets and VIP packages offered through NBA.com/Paris, NBA.com/Manchester and NBAExperiences.com/NBA-Europe.

History

Historical Context

The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, held July 25–August 9, marked Europe’s emergence as a stage for global sport. Building on that momentum, the NBA plans 2027 games in Paris and Manchester, aiming to extend the continent’s basketball footprint. The upcoming events echo the early-1990s push to internationalize major competitions and to foster cross-continental partnerships across sport and business.

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NBA Expands Europe

NBA announced that the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans will play a regular-season game in France on Jan. 14, 2027.
The same teams will meet in Manchester, England on Jan. 17, 2027, marking the city’s first NBA game.
Victor Wembanyama will become the first French-born player to appear in an NBA game on French soil.
Investors pledged at least $1 billion for NBA Europe, which aims to launch a 12-to-16-team league in 2027-28.

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