According to Forbes, the Spurs franchise value has almost doubled since the then-19-year-old, now-21-year-old signed his contract, from $2 billion in 2022 to $3.85 billion in 2024. The franchise value rose to around $3.25 billion in 2023, the same year he was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, chosen by the Spurs.
Demand for tickets has also increased. According to Vivid Seats, a ticket resale site, the Spurs saw an increase of 20% in average home ticket prices during Wemby’s rookie year, and this season has already seen an increase of 35% since the 2022-23 season.
The average ticket price for a Spurs home game also rose from $79 on the site in the 2022-23 season to $107 today, after Wembanyama became the sixth unanimously selected Rookie of the Year in NBA history for the 2023-24 season.
“I’ve noticed a renewed sense of pride, hope and interest in fans,” said Melissa Vela-Williamson, a San Antonio author and public relations professional. “People want to win, experience wonder and be a part of something unique or novel. Wemby offers all those possibilities.”
Former Spurs broadcaster Richard Oliver, who did pregame and postgame analysis for Spurs telecasts for 12 years alongside Bill Land, Matt Bonner, Sean Elliott and Andrew Monaco, said the excitement Wembanyama brings back to the fans is refreshing.
“When you go to the arena now, the electricity is amazing and it kind of harkens back to that golden age,” Oliver said.
That electricity shows in the sheer number of attendees at games. In 2022, Spurs home game attendance was averaging around 15,014, according to ESPN.com. In 2023, the Spurs’ audience average was about 16,937 and in 2024 that jumped to 17,848.
“It’s so welcome, because we’ve gone through this evolution with the Spurs that were just not used to,” Oliver said.
After the Spurs won the NBA championship in 2014 the “Big Three” — Virgin-islander Tim Duncan, French-born Tony Parker and Argentina-born Manu Ginobili — retired, leaving the Spurs in a rebuilding phase. The Spurs saw some of their toughest seasons following these changes, Oliver explained, including not making it to the NBA playoffs for the first time in 23 years in 2020.
Rookie Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spur’s first overall draft selection from France plays in his first regular season NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Frost Bank Center. Credit: Scott Ball / San Antonio Report
Wemby’s June 2023 draft was something of a miracle for the Spurs in that way, bringing back previous levels of Spurs fever, Oliver said.
The effects were seen instantaneously on social media. In the 2023-24 season, Wemby was the third most-viewed NBA player globally on social media, with 1.3 billion views, trailing only LeBron James (1.9 billion) and Stephen Curry (1.7 billion), according to Spurs Sports and Entertainment. Wemby also gained the third most followers on his personal Instagram that year at 1.1 million, representing a 44% increase and again trailing only James and Curry.
“It’s that re-introduction of hope for the Spurs,” Oliver said, adding that diehard fans still had faith equity in the team, believing the Spurs would make a comeback eventually. “When the Spurs got Wemby, it went from faith equity to, ‘OK, this thing is going to happen.’”
An international phenomenon
Wemby isn’t just re-inspiring a love of American basketball in San Antonio. The Frenchman has also renewed the Spurs bug in France four years after Parker left him the torch.
During the 2023-24 season, unique viewers of Spurs games on League Pass in France increased by 189% year over year, and the average viewership of Spurs games on League Pass in France increased by 91%, according to Spurs Sports and Entertainment.
As of this year, the Spurs are the most popular team on League Pass in France, with French viewership of Spurs games up 77% over average viewership.
The San Antonio Spurs will face off against the Indiana Pacers in Paris, France at the Accor Arena on Thursday and Saturday. Credit: Scott Ball / San Antonio Report
In 2023-24, Wemby also had the top-selling basketball jersey in France, the second top-selling basketball jersey in Europe, and the fourth best-selling basketball jersey globally behind Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum. This season, NBA League Pass subscriptions in France are up 36% year-over-year.
During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wemby was largely credited with France’s silver-medal finish. In the gold medal game against the U.S., the 7-foot-4 superstar had 26 points and 7 rebounds.
Wemby’s connection has helped strengthen an international sisterhood between San Antonio and France that San Antonians are seeing firsthand.
In 2023-24, Wemby also had the top-selling basketball jersey in France. Credit: Scott Ball / San Antonio Report
San Antonio local Laura Mayes said that when she, her husband, and their daughter went to Paris in 2024, French residents were excited to hear they were from San Antonio.
“We were greeted with many a, ‘Oh, San Antonio! Like Wemby!’” Mayes said.
Some Spurs fans traveled for the international games taking place this week, including San Antonio resident David Lynch, who joined his girlfriend and her family in Paris.
“Since I’ve only been in San Antonio for a few years and didn’t witness the dynasty firsthand, it feels extra special seeing the international spirit and relationship linking San Antonio and Paris,” Lynch told the San Antonio Report on Wednesday. “Most locals we’ve talked to here are excited about Wemby and the team playing here.”
A new Spurs arena
Over the past several months, discussions by the city and county questioning if it is time for a new downtown Spurs arena have been heating up, with the launch of “Project Marvel” — the code name for a sweeping vision centered around a new basketball stadium and an expanded convention center — in November.
So far, the entire proposal is only a concept. To pull it off, the city would need to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bexar County, which owns the Frost Bank Center where the Spurs currently play, along with Spurs Sports and Entertainment, along with developing a financing and construction plan, plus a timeline.
City officials have said that Spurs leaders gave a “resounding yes” to moving downtown.
Is the timing of these discussions related to Wemby’s rise? Many outside sports analysts, including longtime Spurs analysts Mike Taylor and Marilyn Dubinski have suggested that a new arena wouldn’t even be up for discussion if it wasn’t related at least partially to the Wemby effect.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told the Report that he doesn’t believe Wemby is the sole driver behind the ideas of a new stadium — which he attributes more to San Antonio’s general economic growth — but noted the French superstar does highlight residents’ desire to have a thriving downtown ecosystem complete with a new venue.
“We’ve been talking about what the long-term future of the Spurs looks like in San Antonio for a long time, and [Wemby] has just brought it into sharper focus for everyone,” Nirenberg said.
A rendering of the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment District. Credit: Courtesy / Populous
The Spurs’ lease on the AT&T Center, owned by Bexar County and located on the East Side, ends in 2032. As the deadline nears to put a possible proposal for funding a new stadium out to voters in the May 3 election, County Judge Peter Sakai has said in recent weeks that more information is necessary before moving forward.
At the top of his list of concerns is what will happen to the previous stadium, how much the project will cost, and how much of that funding would need to be provided by county taxpayers.
The deadline to put the proposal on the May 3 ballot is Feb. 14, though another funding opportunity exists just six months later on November’s ballot.
“We will continue to gather the necessary information to explore this project throughout 2025,” Sakai said during a recent commissioners court meeting.
Nirenberg added that even not considering the stadium, Wemby has left his mark on San Antonio.
”His presence definitely puts San Antonio back on the international stage,” Nirenberg said. “Anytime our city is excited about our teams is definitely a morale boost.”