SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs are strengthening their ties to Victor Wembanyama's homeland, announcing a new agreement Tuesday to have the French digital asset security firm Ledger be its new jersey sponsor.
Ledger is based in Paris, where the Spurs played two games last season. The Spurs have long had an enormous following in France, with players like Tony Parker and Boris Diaw playing for San Antonio before the team drafted Wembanyama in 2023.
“This moment cements a decades-long history of international collaboration and growth by the Spurs organization, as the game of basketball has grown to touch every culture and continent,” said RC Buford, the CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
It is a multi-year deal, but specific terms were not announced.
Ledger is a relatively new company. It was started 10 years ago to help safeguard digital assets for cryptocurrency users. It has grown wildly since, now used by millions of individuals around the world to secure more than 20% of all crypto.
“Aligning ourselves with an historic U.S. sports team, which boasts a deep French connection past and present, will help us onboard the next generation of sovereign individuals," said Pascal Gauthier, Chairman & CEO of Ledger. “The San Antonio Spurs, at the heart of America in Texas, is the future of the league, growing their fandom rapidly, and the most international team the NBA has to offer."
The Spurs have had players from more than 30 countries play for the organization.
They will debut their new Ledger-branded jerseys at the NBA draft on Wednesday. They currently have the No. 2 and No. 14 picks in the first round. The first game with the new patch will be at the California Classic summer league on July 5, and the patches will be on both the San Antonio and the G League's Austin Spurs jerseys.
Also in the deal: Ledger will join the Spurs' ongoing community efforts in Paris, which started earlier this year with the team launching a multi-year plan to renovate outdoor basketball courts. Ledger also becomes the presenting partner of Spurs Tech & Basketball Camp, which uses sports and technology applications to engage school-aged participants ages 10-14 — connecting young basketball players with science, technology, engineering, and math and showing how all those elements are tied to the game.
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The Associated Press
