The Spurs Saw 'Where It All Started' for Victor Wembanyama. Why It Made Them Better

SAN ANTONIO — If the weather was a little cooler, Stephon Castle wouldn't have been the center of attention on social media this summer. Instead, the internet knows he loved Paris.

"I think Stephon loves Paris," Carter Bryant said in a now-viral video posted to the San Antonio Spurs' social media accounts in August. "I think Stephon loves Paris."

Castle and Bryant, who joined a slew of Spurs on a trip to visit Victor Wembanyama in France, found themselves wandering the streets of Paris during some scheduled down time. Castle needed to get out of the long sleeves he was wearing. But just for the day.

"It's hot out there," the guard said during training camp, explaining the "I Love Paris" shirt he wore in the video. "I probably would have had to buy two more."

If Castle had been in the city longer, perhaps he would have returned to the vendor who sold him the first T-shirt. One thing he's made clear is he enjoyed his two weeks in Europe, and while none of his teammates went viral for their fashion choices, they did, too.

"It's good to take a break," Spurs guard Dylan Harper began, "but having all the guys in one room again ... breaking bread with each other was the best thing about Paris.”

Left to right: San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40), guard Stephon Castle (5), BC Roma center Kelly Olynyk (22), San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2), forward Carter Bryant (11) and forward Victor Wembanyama (1) pose for a photo at the Louvre Museum in Paris. | Photo via @spurs on X, formerly Twitter.

The Spurs galavanted around Paris well before the beginning of what was set to be their revenge season after a failed NBA Finals run. In between riverboat rides and evening strolls, the team practiced in the same places Wembanyama grew up playing in.

“We have a group of guys that like being around each other," De'Aaron Fox said of the trip, "so I don't think it was hard to get guys ... together. The big thing is trying to make sure everybody's schedule gets aligned for everybody to be in the same city.”

As far as they were concerned, France was the change of scenery they all needed.

"You don't want to go the entire summer without being able to be around your teammates," Fox said. "It's not necessarily just working on anything special."

Bryant saw the spot where Wembanyama once struggled with left-hand layups. He saw the bleachers where Wembanyama tied his one-size-too-big shoes, part of an awkward frame that often sent basketballs careening away when he attempted between-the-legs handles.

Being there in the company of his current teammates made Wembanyama emotional. For those who knew him best outside of his immediate family, the reason was hardly a mystery.

"I could understand why," Bryant said. "That's where it all started."

The Frenchman spent a majority of his shortened offseason at home, during which he continued adding to his long list of accomplished summer side quests.

After a brief rest, the forward paid a visit to a professional rugby team to "strengthen his vestibular system," refurbished a basketball court in Nanterre and helped Les Bleus orient themselves for a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar next summer.

The latter gave him a chance to play basketball again after losing four games to the New York Knicks in June. It also fortified his leadership qualities; Wembanyama was named the youngest captain of Team France since Tony Parker in 2003 by coach Frédéric Fauthoux.

"Victor is the leader of this team," Fauthoux said after France's 92-67 Group C victory over Slovenia, "and like any great leader, he provided the momentum (for us)."

Aug 27, 2026; Paris, France; Team France center Victor Wembanyama (32) celebrates during a game against Team Slovenia in the second qualifying window for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 at Accor Arena. | Photo via @fiba on Instagram.

At each step along the way, Wembanyama kept his ties to the NBA strong. Harrison Barnes accompanied him during the rugby training sessions. Rudy Gobert shared the court with him and Les Bleus and Nikola Jokić faced off against him in two friendly matches.

The exposure kept Wembanyama motivated to become a better player for the Spurs' sake. He often thought about the deflating way their season ended months prior. Nights weren't entirely sleepless, but he found it hard to drift away and forget about it.

As much as he hated to let them in, Wembanyama had to embrace his feelings of grief. As the face of the Spurs, he wasn't planning to hide from anything. Neither were they.

Back together again for a few weeks, they used that time to confide in one another; Wembanyama quickly learned he wasn't the only one feeling sick about the Finals.

"We get to talk through some things," Castle said. "I mean, there's no coaches there.”

As the Spurs discussed their season, they worked to arrive at the same page on how best to move forward. They got vulnerable with each other without fear of anyone taking things "the wrong way." Wembanyama took accountability as the face of the team.

Jan 21, 2025; Le Chesnay, France; A poster depicting San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) hangs on the fencing of a newly refurbished basketball court in Wembanyama's hometown, unveiled by the Spurs during "Spurs Week Paris." | Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs.

If San Antonio were to return to the Finals and win a championship, he'd be the cornerstone. Wembanyama knows that comes with a responsibility to be more consistent and dominant offensively. Even before that, he had to get over the most agonizing loss of his career. That's when he turned to the collective who came to see him in France.

"You do some of that alone," Wembanyama said, "but it's great to do that as a team."

Wembanyama is accustomed to these kinds of conversations. He'll often stray from the path of pure basketball jabber during his postgame media availability each night.

Sometimes, he talks about the human condition. How he doesn't want to waste his 20s being scared about his own mortality. He's discussed what makes a rivalry, and why it's important for rules to govern an organization, even if it means missing out on end-of-season awards.

At his celebratory Rookie of the Year press conference, the then-19-year-old dove into the concept of dark matter and why it fascinated him. He used his first NBA paycheck to purchase a LEGO Millennium Falcon set — he's a self-proclaimed Star Wars nerd.

When it comes to discussing how to be the best version of himself? Wembanyama enjoyed bantering with Bryant, who spent last season riding next to him on the team plane.

"We talked about our goals." Bryant explained. "Personal goals, community goals, collective goals, off-court goals. Things like that. He's one of those people that has an amazing superpower to get better at absolutely anything faster than anybody else."

Apr 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) waits to check into the game next to forward Carter Bryant (11) during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at the Chase Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Having spent an offseason mulling over what he could have done better, the odds are in Wembanyama's favor that he'll enter the season looking more polished than he did a year ago, when he returned to the floor after deep vein thrombosis ended his second season.

Wembanyama earned his first All-NBA selection, became an All-Star starter and took home his first Defensive Player of the Year Award to capitalize on the intrinsic motivation he said he felt following what he described as a life-changing experience.

Hoping to lead the Spurs back to the top of the Western Conference, he'll will have another chance to back up his words after learning "the biggest lesson" of his career in June.

His teammates have no doubt he's ready to make another superstar-sized leap.

“Vic grows as a leader every day," Castle said during training camp, "whether vocally or ... on the court. It just shows how bought-in he is to the team. To be able to see his leadership grow over the two years that I’ve been here has been special.”

The rest of the Spurs departed France right before Wembanyama began his summer stint with Fauthoux and Les Bleus. By then, the forward had already done his side quests, but the feeling of saying goodbye to his teammates for a month lingered a while longer.

"These people matter to me," Wembanyama said. "This place (France) matters to me. Having the two of them together feels the same as when family comes to visit here.”

Wembanyama was grateful his teammates made the trip at all. He was giddy to show them pieces of himself he can't in San Antonio: He's a different person in the two cities, he says. He also appreciated getting re-aligned with the group he's going to spend the next year with.

The Frenchman no longer has shoes one size too big. He's pretty good at his handles now. He can make a layup on either side of the rim with ease. But every time he shows his emotions next season, the rest of his teammates will understand why just a little more.

"With a franchise like this," Bryant began, "the biggest thing is family and having each other's back. For us to take time out of our summers, after we had been together longer than anybody else, to come to his home and for him to educate us about where he's from ...

"To come off a championship-caliber year and an MVP-caliber season — obviously he didn't get those things done, he didn't win it — but for him to get to that point and come back to where he started and have the people around him be like, 'Next year we're going to take that next step.' I mean, there's no reason not to be emotional."

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