The first pick in the NBA draft pick, Victor WembanyamaVictor Wembanyama has decided to sit out this year's FIBA World Cup to focus on his upcoming rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs. The 19-year-old phenom told French newspaper L'Equipe that playing in the tournament would not be realistic as he looks to develop his game and stay healthy for his upcoming NBA rookie season.
Preparing for NBA debut
Wembanyama, 7-foot-5, was selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, and expectations were that he would play for France in the tournament. After consulting with his medical team and close friends and family, he decided to skip the tournament, informing the French national team last weekend. "It would be unrealistic in terms of development and unwise in terms of health," he said.
The FIBA World Cup runs Aug. 25-Sept. 10 in the Philippines and ends about three weeks before the start of NBA training camp. He still plans to play for San Antonio in the NBA Summer League, either in Sacramento, which begins July 3, or in the Las Vegas league, which begins July 7. Wembanyama could also travel between the two cities and play in both leagues.
By his calculations, Wembanyama says that if he plays his rookie season in the NBA, he will total about 170 games played in two years. He recently finished his season with Boulogne-Lavallois Metropolitans 92, where he played 62 games and reached the French League Finals before becoming the number one pick in the draft.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich reiterated after the draft that the team would not pressure Wembanyama to decide one way or the other about his summer plans before his first NBA season. "There's nothing set in stone where we're already going to say, 'This is how it's going to be,'" he said. Spurs fans will get their first chance to see Wembanyama in action at the California Classic in Sacramento on July 3.
Victor Wembanyama had a very "Mexican" welcome in San Antonio 🤩 pic.twitter.com/mcWhqjpLcp
- NBA MEXICO (@NBAMEX) June 27, 2023
France could still fight for the title
Wembanyama's absence is not good news for the French team, which will face Canada, Lebanon and Latvia in Group H of the FIBA World Cup tournament. The team will not need to qualify for the 2024 Olympics at home, but hopes to win a medal at the World Cup. While the team will still have Rudy Gobert in the middle, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year has not produced well on offense.
The FIBA World Cup features 32 teams that will play in eight pools, with four teams each and the top two teams from each pool advancing to the 16-team knockout round. Team USA will play in Group C against Greece, New Zealand and Jordan. The roster includes a young and talented group of players led by Paolo Banchero, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Anthony Edwards.
The decision to skip international competition this summer is a smart move by Wembanyama. Still, it's a big blow to the French national team, which was expected to be one of the best teams in the tournament. While he won't appear in this year's FIBA World Cup, Wembanyama says he intends to play for France in the 2024 Olympics in Paris next summer.
France finished third at the 2019 World Cup in China after eliminating Team USA in the quarterfinals and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Because most of the top U.S. players have not committed to play for the national team, they will not have their best team on the court, which means France has an excellent chance to compete for the championship.
