NBA growing football links linked to stars like Wembania, Antetokounmpo

San Antonio star Victor Vembaniama he was standing outside in the rain on a cold Parisian night. He was wearing a parka, a hoodie, jeans and trainers. And then he spent a few seconds showing off his skills.

Basketball was not included.

Vembaniama – like so many others in NBA – He is obsessed with football. He was one of the star attractions at a Champions League match between Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City Earlier this week. Down the side of the field, Vembaniama put on a showlong show, flashing the ball in the air and excessively, sometimes alternating between the feet without hitting the ground. It’s a skill that requires at least a fair bit of soccer ability. It seems to look easy.

“He could have come and played with us,” said PSG Star Achraf Hakimi.

Wembaniama left the stadium with his jersey on, smiling like someone would be if he left the NBA Arena with one of his jerseys.

Black, the the Los Angeles Lakers‘ LeBron JamesMilwaukee teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Miami‘s Jimmy Butler, Dallas‘ Luka Doncic and New York‘s Josh Hart There are only a few football players in the NBA right now – and they follow in the footsteps of former stars like Steve Nash, Goran Dragic, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasov and plenty of others who starred in basketball, but the beloved football.

“Soccer players are more famous than NBA players,” Antetokounmpo said. “Road, road, as it is better known.”

Inter Miami star Lionel Messi last season and the game in Miami Heat the crowd – used to see celebrities at each pageant – went wild trying to figure out exactly where Argentina It was great to be able to grab a photo. James acquired the piece Liverpool In 2021 through his investment with Fenway Sports Group. Antetokounmpo became part owner Major League Soccer‘s Nashville SC in 2023. Gredala wardrobe Josh Richardson is in the process of joining the team.

The connections between the NBA and soccer are many – and growing.

“It underscores the impact we can have as NBA players,” Wembaniama said. “It just reminds me of that responsibility that we have to try to make it positive. All in all, just bringing emotion to people and bringing it together.”

The NBA has been watching soccer very closely, especially in Europe. The manner in which the clubs have seasoned tournaments was part of what convinced NBA commissioner Adam Silver that such an event would work in his league. The tournament, now called the NBA Cup, was a roaring success in its first two seasons.

Even now, with the NBA in talks with FIBA and other entities about new basketball cooperation in Europe, Silver points to soccer as an example of what could work.

“Having this long history from our work in sports leagues, largely in the United States and a little bit elsewhere, seeing what’s happened in Europe — not just in basketball, but in soccer — and soccer — also gives us an opportunity to say, ‘” Okay, let’s look at all the best practices for creating a commercially viable league,” he said is silver.

The Spurry they are making their official PSG Fandom. There is now a business relationship between the teams; this week with San Antonio in Paris to play a couple of games with Indiana PacersSpurs and PSG have even collaborated on new merchandise together, combining brands. The executives met to discuss best practices and that the sharing of ideas will continue – a mutual benefit with the Spurs now playing in France and PSG coming to the US later this year.

“This partnership represents a unique opportunity to blend our leadership and fan expertise, creating unforgettable experiences for our audiences,” said PSG director Victoriano Melero. “With the Club World Cup competition in the USA next summer, we are paving the way for new initiatives that transcend borders.”

BUTLER counts several footballers – Paul Pogbe among them – as his closest friends. He routinely greets football stars in the stands at games, has a range of jerseys in his collection and follows quite a few teams around the world.

He says there is a level of respect for soccer stars and basketball greats.

“What they do is so difficult, so they humble us to know that everything we do is hand coordination and everything they do is foot coordination, which is unlike any other game,” Butler said. “Then, on top of that, they’re really the sweetest people in the world. And on top of everything else, I think if most of them ever had to pick one sport they wanted to play, it would actually be basketball.”

Associated press reporting.

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