Rick Carlise in Awe After 'Breathtaking' Victor Wembanyama Dominates Pacers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jan 24, 2025 10:40 AM ET

On Thursday, the Indiana Pacers lost the first of their two games in Paris against the San Antonio Spurs, falling 140-110. Victor Wembanyama, cheered on by his hometown crowd, scored 30 points and blocked five shots in a dominant two-way performance.

Despite technically being the road team, the Spurs had the fans on their side. Before the game, Wembanyama gave a long-winded speech in French to the fans, who serenaded him with MVP chants later in the game.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who has been around the NBA since 1984 and has played with legends like Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and Patrick Ewing and coached Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki, and Luka Doncic, couldn't hold back the praise for Wembanyama.

"I thought it was a great environment," the head coach said. "I don't know what Victor said before the game, but whatever he said worked. They played a great game. Victor's a great player."

In France, Wembanyama is perhaps the most popular athlete from the country, beating out accomplished soccer player Kylian Mbappé. As France adopts basketball as one of its most popular sports, Wembanyama is leading the charge.

"The country of France should be very, very proud," Carlisle continued. "He's a one-of-a-kind. I don't know how many generations a player like that comes along. And just breathtaking, the things that he does. For us, we're going to have to do an awful lot of things better on Saturday, and we have a pretty quick turnaround, so we got work to do."

The Pacers will have a chance at revenge on Saturday, again in Paris. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and tipoff is scheduled for noon in Indianapolis.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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