Here's what to know when the NBA returns to Paris this week for a pair of regular-season games featuring the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers.

The story, as Buford tells it, goes like this: Claudio Crippa, an international scout for the Spurs, proposed going to see a youth game before checking out Doumbouya. Buford saw Wembanyama play for the first time that day. And the seeds for the Spurs’ new master plan were immediately planted.

The way Spurs center Victor Wembanyama sees it, the NBA has already taken one important step toward its stated goal of improving the competitive edge of its annual All-Star game. They put Wembanyama in it.