The French basketball team suffered a severe blow before the World Cup that will be held in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan from August 25. Victor Wembanyama announced that he will not be part of his national team in the tournament, so as not to jeopardize his fitness ahead of his long-awaited NBA debut with the San Antonio Spurs.
The power forward was selected number one in the NBA draft the week before, a privileged position for the Frenchman who had already been known for a long time in the North American League environment. Wembanyama has grabbed the attention of the entire basketball world for his potential to become one of the best on the planet.
For this reason, the absence of the young athlete is a hard blow for France, and also for FIBA. As reported by the French newspaper L’Équipe, Wembanyama said that it was a “difficult decision” and that it is irrevocable, in addition to clarifying that he took this position himself after consulting with the medical team and close friends of his. He also mentioned that the Spurs did not pressure him into his decision and that they would have supported him if he had decided to participate.
“It would be unrealistic in terms of development and senseless in terms of health, I hope people understand that. It’s frustrating for me too. The France team is as important as it ever has been and I want to win as many titles as possible with them. But I think it’s a necessary sacrifice,” Wembanyama said.
The decision makes more sense when looking to the future. The Frenchman has just finished a long season with his former team, the Metropolitans 92, and wants to be fully involved in his first season in the NBA. In addition, next year the Olympic Games will be held in Paris, so playing in the World Cup would have meant practically no rest for the next two years.
The 82 games of the regular season in the NBA, plus the preseason, and a possible participation in the playoffs, would have pushed the physique of the barely 19-year-old to the limit. And the ‘training camps’ of the NBA begin just three weeks after the end of the World Cup.
The Frenchman’s life is beginning to change, while all the media spotlights focus on each step he takes in his new home. Over the weekend, Manu Ginóbili, Tim Duncan and David Robinson, legends of the Texan franchise, invited him to dinner when he arrived in the city. “I learned more about the NBA in two hours with them than in the rest of my life. It’s good to see that these people who are so important to San Antonio are so kind and generous, they genuinely wanted to share their experiences,” Wembanyama said.
The future NBA star will now watch his team participate in the World Cup from the United States, while he finishes adjusting to his new home. The world event will be held between August 25 and September 10 on Asian soil, between Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. France comes from being a silver medalist in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and a bronze medalist in the last World Cup, which was played in China in 2019.
