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.

France's Victor Wembanyama could not prevent his San Antonio Spurs side suffering a 136-98 defeat by the Indiana Pacers in the second of two NBA games in Paris.

Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 28 points and took over in the pivotal final five minutes of the third quarter as the Indiana Pacers handled the San Antonio Spurs 136-98 on Saturday afternoon to split the NBA Paris Games series.