The NBA will bring San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans to Europe for two regular-season games in January 2027, the league announced Wednesday.
The teams will meet at Accor Arena in Paris on January 14 before traveling to Manchester for a second game at Co-op Live on January 17. The Paris matchup will be the NBA’s sixth regular-season game in the French capital, while Manchester will host its first NBA regular-season contest.
The announcement continues the league’s aggressive international expansion strategy and places one of basketball’s biggest global stars, Victor Wembanyama, back in front of a home-country audience. The Spurs center is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he won NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors and helped San Antonio secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference at 62-20.
San Antonio currently leads the Oklahoma City Thunder 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals after a 122-115 road win in Game 1. The Spurs roster also features De’Aaron Fox, 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and rookie guard Dylan Harper.
For the Spurs, the Paris game carries additional significance because of Wembanyama’s connection to France. The franchise has already played five games in the country, more than any other NBA team, and the 2027 event will mark its sixth appearance there.
The Pelicans will be making their first appearances in both France and England. Zion Williamson headlines New Orleans’ roster alongside Dejounte Murray and young prospects Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
New Orleans struggled through a 26-56 season in 2025-26 and missed the playoffs, but the organization remains one of the league’s more marketable international draws because of Williamson’s profile and the franchise’s fast-paced style.
The NBA said both events are part of its multiyear European slate and will include community outreach, youth clinics, referee and coaching development programs, and fan activations in both cities.
The Paris game will become the 16th NBA game played in France since 1991. The Manchester matchup will be the 20th NBA game held in England since 1993 and the first regular-season NBA game ever played in the city.
