The roar of the crowd inside the Accor Arena was deafening. The music was blaring and fans were screaming with joy. Not for a rock concert, but for a basketball match. 

The NBA’s recent foray into Paris wasn’t just a game; it was a cultural phenomenon, a testament to the league’s increasingly global reach and the rise of a new generation of European superstars. 

At the heart of this phenomenon is Victor Wembanyama, the French star whose presence is electrifying fans and baffling game developers – such as 2K – alike. 

‘I don’t think you have to look much further than the last six MVPs,’ said David Brody, the NBA’s Vice President of Global Partnerships, when speaking with Mail Sport.

‘All of them are born outside the United States. You’ve got Giannis [Antetokounmpo], you’ve got [Nikola] Jokic, you’ve got [Joel] Embiid – the biggest stars, the pinnacle award in our game, the last six years has been for someone outside the US.’ 

Victory Wembanyama has become the latest European talent to take over the NBA

The San Antonio Spurs star has become a global phenomenon after shining out on the court 

The 21-year-old, who stands at 7’4″, has a set of characteristics that a rarely seen in the sport

This isn’t a passing trend; it’s a fundamental realignment of the basketball universe. European players aren’t just filling roster spots anymore; they’re leading the charge, setting records, and redefining the game itself.

Brody points to the league’s social media engagement as further evidence of this global surge – with particular interest on Wembanyama in the past year.

He explained: ‘Not sure if you guys saw, we’ve made an announcement yesterday. Victor already is now the second most viewed player on our social media this year.

‘So, you know, we have some established stars like I just hit on, but also someone like Victor, who’s not even through his second season yet and he’s already number two, behind LeBron James, in terms of our fans’ consumption of videos on our platform. So I think the international reach is here, and it’s only going to continue to grow as we go into the future.’

Wembanyama’s impact is so profound that it’s creating ripples beyond the court, even reaching the world of video games. 

Ronnie 2K, the public face of the NBA 2K franchise, revealed the challenges Wembanyama’s unique skillset presents. ‘I don’t know how you design him in the game,’ he confessed. 

‘We were just talking about it before. We don’t have builds that are seven foot five, that can dribble and shoot. We used to in my career, and we were like, ‘That’s not authentic.’ And so we took it out, and now it is weirdly authentic, because he’s just so good.’

The dilemma, Ronnie 2K explained, is how to translate Wembanyama’s almost otherworldly abilities into a balanced and engaging gameplay experience. 

Wembanyama helped lead the San Antonio Spurs to a win over the Indiana Pacers in Paris

NBA chief Dave Brody spoke of the immense impact that Wembanyama has had on the league

‘We haven’t put it back in, you know, and it’s kind of scary, because people are very competitive that play our game and they’re going to want to play the best build. 

‘And, I mean, how do you not build a guy like Wendy if that’s, you know, your prototype? He’s got size, he’s got skill. So we have a pending thing that we’re gonna have to think about, and how we develop in terms of how he’s built in the game.’

Ronnie 2K’s admiration for Wembanyama’s talent is clear. He compared his defensive presence to a prime Yao Ming, while acknowledging the Frenchman’s superior range and ball-handling. 

‘He’s such a great defensive player. He’s very hard to score against. Kind of reminds me of like playing prime Yao Ming as well. 

‘Similar body styles, obviously, Wemby’s got a little bit more range and probably a little bit better ball-handling skills, which is crazy. Yao Ming’s one of the best big men to ever have played our game. So his legacy, you know, if he stays healthy and he continues to evolve…’

He emphasized the importance of experience in Wembanyama’s development. ‘I was also saying, like, halfway through year two, experience is what’s going to make him so much better. 

‘Like he’s just learning the nuance of how to get to the basket and score at this level. And I mean, there’s just a lot to be excited about with him.’ The challenge for the game developers, he reiterated, is to capture Wembanyama’s essence without breaking the game’s delicate balance. 

‘We’re going to have to think about how we build that game around his skill set without making it completely look arcade. We don’t, we don’t want it to be so unrealistic, just because he’s so, so good.’

The Frenchman’s unique skillset has also driven game developers to rethink their models

The Spurs sophomore is currently averaging 24.3 points per game for Gregg Popovich’s side

The NBA’s recent trip to Paris underscored the league’s commitment to global expansion. Brody described the atmosphere at the Accor Arena as electric. 

‘For us, our mission is to inspire and connect people through the game of basketball everywhere. We’ve played over 210 global games, really, in every region or corner of the world. Our games are broadcasted in over 50 languages and over 200 countries and territories.’

He shared a personal anecdote from the Paris game that highlighted basketball’s unifying power. ‘For me, there was a moment the other night that I think symbolized the ability for basketball to bring different cultures and people together. 

‘I don’t know if you guys saw Victor took the mic before the game to speak to the audience in your arena. I don’t speak French, so I didn’t know what he was saying, but I felt and knew exactly what he was saying, like just the camaraderie and the passion that was in the building.’ 

The game, he noted, was the most viewed ever in France, a testament to the growing passion for basketball across the globe. 

‘It just speaks to like, how basketball is this universal language that brings people together. So for us, it’s, it is our mission. And how many words that is like we are singularly focused on bringing people together around the world through the game of basketball.’

The sky is the limit for the Frenchman as the Spurs set sights on a potential play-in spot

The rise of European stars like Wembanyama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid isn’t just a fleeting moment; it shows a fundamental shift in the NBA’s identity over the last decade.

It’s a testament to the globalization of the game, the power of sport to transcend borders and cultures, and the dawn of a new era in basketball, an era where European talent is not just competing, but defining the future of the game. 

And at the forefront of this movement stands Victor Wembanyama, a player so unique he’s rewriting the rulebook, both on the court and in the digital world. 

His presence is a symbol of the NBA’s global aspirations, a beacon of what’s possible when talent and passion converge on the world stage. The world is watching, and the future of basketball, it seems, is being written in multiple languages.