The San Antonio Spurs got major international news before Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
The NBA announced on May 20 that the Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans will play two regular-season games in Europe during the 2026-27 season: Jan. 14, 2027 at Accor Arena in Paris, France, and Jan. 17, 2027 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
For the Spurs, the timing adds another layer to an already busy week. San Antonio is preparing for Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder after a 122-115 double-overtime win in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, a game in which Victor Wembanyama delivered 41 points and 24 rebounds, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The Europe announcement is not a playoff development, but it is still significant for a franchise that has become one of the NBA’s most marketable global teams because of Wembanyama.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS AND SAN ANTONIO SPURS TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAMES IN PARIS AND MANCHESTER IN 2027
Spurs and Pelicans to Face Off on Jan. 14 in Paris and Jan. 17 in Manchester
The NBA today announced that the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs will play
The NBA’s announcement confirmed that Spurs-Pelicans will be part of the league’s multiyear slate of regular-season games in Europe.
The Paris game will be the NBA’s sixth regular-season game in Paris, while the Manchester game will be the league’s first regular-season game in that city. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer had identified the Spurs and Pelicans as the teams selected for the 2027 Europe games.
That gives the matchup a clear basketball and marketing hook: Wembanyama in France, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans on the other side, and a Spurs team that has quickly moved from rebuilding project to international draw.
San Antonio already experienced the Wembanyama-in-Paris effect in January 2025, when the Spurs played two games against the Indiana Pacers in France. The trip became a homecoming for Wembanyama, who hosted teammates and guided the group through meaningful stops near Paris.
This time, the trip will come with an added wrinkle. The Spurs will not only return to Paris, but also become part of Manchester’s first regular-season NBA game.
There is little mystery about why the Spurs were chosen.
Wembanyama is one of the NBA’s biggest international stars, and the league has every reason to put him back in front of French fans.
The decision also shows how quickly San Antonio’s profile has changed.
The Spurs were already one of the league’s iconic international brands because of the franchise’s championship era with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Wembanyama has given the franchise a new global face, and the timing of this announcement only reinforces that.
San Antonio is no longer being promoted as a future curiosity. The Spurs are being positioned as a present-tense draw, a playoff team, a Wembanyama team and a franchise the NBA can confidently export to major international markets.
The Spurs had already begun reacting to the upcoming Europe trip before the official announcement.
“I’m sure it’ll be a great trip,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “We’re always looking forward to expanding the game and being part of the cool process of being able to play outside the country.”
Forward Julian Champagnie sounded even more enthusiastic.
“Oh, man, I love Paris,” Champagnie told the Express-News. “I absolutely loved Paris last year. It was a great experience. The people are great. The fans are great. The place is great. Obviously I’ve never been to Manchester. I’m excited to go, though.”
That reaction matters because these games are not just ceremonial. Regular-season games abroad interrupt routine, travel schedules and preparation. For a young team, though, they can also become bonding experiences, and the Spurs’ 2025 Paris trip clearly left a strong impression.
For now, the Spurs have a much more immediate concern.
San Antonio is trying to take a 2-0 series lead against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals. The Express-News reported that De’Aaron Fox is a game-time decision for Game 2 because of right ankle soreness, after missing Game 1.
That makes the timing of the NBA’s announcement interesting, even if the Europe games are months away. The Spurs are receiving global-brand treatment at the same time they are trying to prove they belong on the league’s biggest postseason stage.
The 2027 trip will eventually become a showcase for Wembanyama, the Spurs and the NBA’s European ambitions. But before San Antonio gets to Paris and Manchester, the franchise has a playoff opportunity in front of it.
Game 2 against the Thunder comes first. The global tour can wait.
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