Trying to find Spurs stuff in Wemby Land

Each a number of years, I make the most of Pounding the Rock’s limitless journey finances. In 2016, I travelled to Vancouver, British Columbia to see if the locals nonetheless cared concerning the NBA after the league deserted town to maneuver the group to Memphis.

The quick reply — nope. The shorter reply — no. As I reported:

Nonetheless, my journey confirmed what occurs when a metropolis loses a franchise — they not care as a lot concerning the sport.

Certainly, throughout my 4 days in Vancouver, not a single individual famous my Spurs gear. Much more amazingly, I didn’t see a single individual — even youngsters — carrying any NBA gear. No Curry #30, Lebron #23, or Kobe #24. Not even a Steve Nash jersey, although he grew up in Vancouver.

All that being mentioned, Vancouver is a stupendous, clear and pleasant metropolis with nice meals. One in every of North America’s greatest ski areas, Whistler Mountain, is simply out of city. Everybody ought to go to Vancouver at the least as soon as. Simply don’t trouble anticipating to strike up a dialog with the natives just by carrying the silver and black. Hockey gear would serve you a lot better.

The subsequent yr I travelled to Australia, on the time the birthplace of 8 NBA gamers, the third most of any non-USA nation behind Canada and France.

Armed with this data, I ventured into the wild outback of downtown Sydney and the Gold Coast of Australia to conduct my inquiry. My analysis included carrying my Spurs gear as usually as attainable with a purpose to see if folks responded, and visiting varied pubs so I might “interview” the native bartenders on the topic. The pub visits had been particularly useful, although the outcomes weren’t that favorable.

As soon as once more, I found that the NBA just isn’t practically as fashionable outdoors of the US as one would hope. Curiosity in New Zealand was even decrease, although the Kiwis did care about their lone participant (on the time) — Steven Adams. Nonetheless, earlier than the journey ended, I positioned a real Spurs fan:

Lastly, on the identical airport the place I had the image taken with a pretend Patty Mills on the high of this piece, I discovered success. Noting my Spurs hat and shirt, an observant youngish fellow working on the airport requested, “Are you a Spurs fan?” It seems that younger Andrew’s mom had given him a David Robinson #50 jersey when Andrew was 8 years previous. He has been a Spurs fan ever since – a lot in order that he travels the 7,000 miles on a fourteen hour flight from Australia to Texas each season to catch a Spurs dwelling recreation. Annually, Andrew makes that flight, goes to a recreation, stays in a single day – and flies again dwelling to Australia.

So although I positioned just one Spurs fan within the Land Down Beneath, I positive discovered an excellent one. If any of you wind up sitting subsequent to an Aussie bloke at a Spurs recreation, be sure that to ask him if he’s Andrew, Australian Spurs Fan of the 12 months. If he’s, be sure that to say “G’Day Mate!”, and purchase him an American beer. He deserves it.

Maybe that one vibrant spot to my in any other case disappointing journey to the Land Down Beneath provided me with sufficient resolve to enterprise forth as soon as extra into the world. (That, and the PtR limitless journey finances talked about above.) The plain vacation spot: France, dwelling of Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and — after all — Victor Wembanyama. I assumed that this Spursian French threesome, and the 2024 Olympics during which Victor displayed his expertise to the world, would result in quite a few sightings of Spurs followers and kit.

As we exited the Paris airport, the employee answerable for shuttling arriving guests onto their taxi or and Uber (pronounced “Uber” in French) famous my Spurs hat and commented, “Ah, San Antonio!” with an enormous smile. An auspicious begin.

Later that day, we visited the Eiffel Tower, surrounded by distributors promoting all kinds of souvenirs. One fellow had an array of hats with “PARIS” emblazened on them. As I walked by he requested if I wished a hat. I responded by pointing at my Spurs hat — he laughed and shouted, “I need that one!” Issues had been trying up, like trying on the Tower itself:

However from that second on, nothing. We didn’t see a single indication that the potential greatest participant on the planet hails from Paris, France and had performed on their native group only a few years again. No merchandise sponsored by Victor. Apart from once I appeared in a mirror, I didn’t see anybody carrying Spurs gear, nor something celebrating the French Nationwide group that received the silver medal within the Paris Olympics lower than twelve months earlier — with the stadium singing the French nationwide anthem after the group’s heroic effort within the gold medal recreation in opposition to the highly effective USA squad.

Certainly, Europeans appear to not put on something reflecting sports activities groups, even the native soccer groups. Regardless that the French Open was occurring, the one reflection of that was the presence of some of the tennis gamers in our lodge.

For USA main leagues, one man in downtown Paris sported a Golden State Warriors hat. A child whose suitcase had a Canada sticker wore a Toronto Blue Jays hat, and a college-aged man on a park bench had a North Carolina sweatshirt — not even an NC basketball sweatshirt, however I used to be getting determined.

Lastly, we positioned a sportswear retailer. Certainly I’d discover NBA product, a Wembanyama Spurs #1 shirt or my precise objective: a Wembanyama Metropolitans 92 jersey. As a substitute, the ONLY group primarily based gear in the complete retailer was this:

Apart from these hats, all of the sports activities gear with a emblem mentioned solely Nike, Adidas or different firm names. No, I didn’t purchase any of them. I used to be already carrying my Spurs Household silver and black shirt, with my trusty Spurs hat. I actually didn’t must spend a bunch of Euros on an Beneath Armor t-shirt.

Downcast, I sought refuge in my go-to respite whereas touring: the closest gelato stand.

Then, a miracle occurred — and never simply the fantastic pistachio gelato. The younger Frenchmen behind the counter greeted me with “Hey, nice Spurs shirt!” My face lit up like a Christmas tree. Younger Leo was an precise Spurs fan, “spurred on” by Leo’s Wemby fandom. He was excited to inform me that he had even attended the primary Spurs Pacers recreation in January this season. The Spurs received massive 140-110 over the attainable 2024-25 NBA champions, with Victor scoring 30.

I advised Leo I’d be writing about him, and right here it’s, written in Charles DeGaulle Airport on our approach out of France. As I departed Leo’s gelato institution, I mentioned “Go Spurs!” and he corrected me, “Go Spurs Go”.

I acknowledge this sounds considerably like the top of my journey to Australia 8 years and 10,000 miles away, however the subsequent time you’re in Paris, be sure that to find and go to Amorino Gelato Naturale. Put on some Spurs gear, and ask for Leo.