Wembanyama, the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, Milwaukee teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Miami's Jimmy Butler, Dallas' Luka Doncic and New York's Josh Hart are just a few of the soccer-obsessed players in the NBA right now — and they're following in the footsteps of former stars like Steve Nash, Goran Dragic, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and plenty of others who starred in basketball but loved soccer.
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi went to a Miami game last season and the Heat crowd — used to seeing celebrities at just about every contest — went wild trying to figure out exactly where the Argentina great was so they could grab a photo.
The ties between soccer and the NBA are real, and they're still growing San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama stood outside in the rain on a cold Paris night.
Wembanyama left the stadium with a jersey that night, smiling like someone would be if they left an NBA arena with one of his jerseys.
“Soccer players are way more famous than NBA players,” Antetokounmpo said.
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