In just one week, the Indiana Pacers will make franchise history as they travel overseas to take on the Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Paris Games 2025. While in Paris, the Pacers and Spurs will go head-to-head in a two-game series.
The history of the NBA Paris Games
There have been three NBA Paris Games in league history, with the first one happening in January 2020. However, this year marks the first time both the Pacers and Spurs will participate. Additionally, this is the first year the NBA Paris Games are two games as opposed to one.
Winning Team | Losing Team | Date |
|---|---|---|
Milwaukee Bucks (116) | Charlotte Hornets (103) | January 24, 2020 |
Chicago Bulls (126) | Detroit Pistons (108) | January 19, 2023 |
Cleveland Cavaliers (111) | Brooklyn Nets (102) | January 11, 2024 |
The games will take place in the Accor Arena, the same arena where Tyrese Haliburton and Team USA defeated Wembanyama and Team France to take home the gold during last year's Paris Olympics.
How to watch the NBA Paris Games 2025
The NBA Paris Games this year will be held on Thursday, January 23 at 2 PM EST and Saturday, January 25 at 12 PM EST. Thursday's game will be available on NBA TV and League Pass. Saturday's game will be nationally televised on ESPN.
Technically, each game is a home and road game for the Pacers and Spurs. However, it is fair to unofficially label both of these games as home games for San Antonio, mostly because of Wembanyama and the Spurs' history with French basketball players.
Wembanyama is a French native and played for numerous French teams (most notably Metropolitans 92) before making the jump to the NBA in 2023. Additionally, the 21-year-old played a critical role in Team France's silver medal finish last summer.
The Pacers vs. Spurs in recent years
On paper, the Pacers versus Spurs is a fantastic matchup for the Paris Games from a basketball perspective. Both teams have exciting young stars and have a lot to offer the Paris crowd. The Pacers are reigning Eastern Conference finalists and are primed for another playoff run. As for San Antonio, they are 19-20 but are better than their record shows and are just three games back from the No. 5 seed in the West. Furthermore, the Pacers and Spurs have played at an even field in the past few seasons.
Since the 2015-16 season, the Pacers are 8-9 against the Spurs in the regular season. Last year, both teams split the season series, with San Antonio winning their most recent battle by a score of 117-105 on March 3, 2024.