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France’s Victor Wembanyama and his San Antonio Spurs side will face the New Orleans Pelicans in a double-header in Paris and Manchester next season.<\/b><\/p>\n
The two sides will face twice in Europe in the space of 72 hours in January 2027.<\/p>\n
They will play first at the Accor Arena in Paris on Thursday, 14 January. Then they will take each other on again at Co-op Live in Manchester on Sunday, 17 January.<\/p>\n
It is the first time that Manchester has played host to a regular-season NBA match.<\/p>\n
French centre Wembanyama finished third in this season’s vote for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. He is also one of the sport’s most popular figures.<\/p>\n
The Spurs are currently leading 1-0 in this season’s Western Conference finals against reigning NBA champions the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the first European double-header between two teams across multiple European cities took place. The Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies faced each other twice in Berlin and London in the space of three days in January.<\/p>\n
Another double header has been scheduled to take place across Berlin and Paris in 2028.<\/p>\n
When it was confirmed last year that Manchester would host a 2027 NBA game, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “This is great news for the city-region and is an exciting opportunity for us to see some of the best basketball players in the world on our doorstep.”<\/p>\n
The move comes alongside the NBA’s plans to launch a European NBA-run league.<\/p>\n
“Playing games in Paris and Manchester reflects the strong momentum we’re seeing for basketball and the NBA in France, the UK and across Europe,” said George Aivazoglou, NBA managing director for Europe and the Middle East. <\/p>\n
“As interest in the game continues to grow across the continent, we look forward to working with the Pelicans, the Spurs and our partners to deliver unique experiences for fans, aspiring players and the local communities.”<\/p>\n
The NBA has focused on both Paris and Manchester as part of its plans to launch an independent European league, with both cities attracting interest from investors over having franchises in an ‘NBA Europe’ league, which could start as early as the 2027-28 season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n