Last week, Tracy McGrady called for the NBA and NBC to feature Victor Wembanyama more prominently on national television.
It took all of one week for the league and McGrady’s bosses to listen to the 7-time All-Star’s suggestion.
On Tuesday night, NBC announced that it is flexing the Nov. 18 matchup between Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies into its Coast 2 Coast Tuesday window. As a result, the Western Conference showdown will air exclusively on NBC and Peacock, with the previously announced primetime game between the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks now set to air in their local markets.
Tip-off in San Antonio is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The Portland Trail Blazers will host the Phoenix Suns in the second part of NBC’s Nov. 18 doubleheader.
Flex game! Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio Spurs host Ja Morant and Memphis Grizzlies on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, Nov. 18, exclusively on NBC and @peacock at 8 p.m. ET
More: https://t.co/lWnQAGpxl6
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) November 5, 2025
While a game between the Spurs and Grizzlies might not have initially seemed like a fit for national television, it isn’t hard to figure out NBC’s line of thinking here. In fact, the first two words in the network’s press release are “Victor Wembanyama,” whose emergence has served as one of the NBA’s primary storylines through the first two weeks of the regular season.
Widely considered to be a generational prospect, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2024 before seeing his sophomore season in San Antonio derailed by injuries. Through the first six games of the 2025-26 campaign, Wembanyama has proven as good as advertised, averaging 26.7 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.7 blocks while leading the Spurs to a 5-1 record.
Despite the hype surrounding their star big man’s third year in San Antonio, the Spurs entered this season with 22 nationally televised games — the 11th-most in the league. But with additional flexibility built into the NBA’s new media rights deal, it was only a matter of time until the league’s partners used that ability to shine a brighter spotlight on Wembanyama, just McGrady called for them to do last week.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.