Victor Wembanyama said he is looking forward to facing Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
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PARIS — Victor Wembanyama plays against the biggest names in the game with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. He looks forward to doing the same with France on the occasion of the Paris Olympic Games.
The Kia Rookie of the Year was asked Thursday about the possibility of a France-USA final and a possible battle against LeBron James and Stephen Curry for the gold medal in his hometown.
“I can’t wait to face them, it will be a very interesting match,” Wembanyama said at a press conference in Paris. “As a basketball player, it’s also a dream to play against Team USA and even against all these players, all these legends.
THE USA beats France 87-82 in the final at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
But this time, France has Wembanyama, who, at 20, is making his Olympic debut. He is the biggest star of the French team and the centre of attention, on and off the pitch.
“I think it’s the biggest competition for an athlete. But I will approach it like everything else in my life: a sporting pleasure,” Wembanyama said.
For France coach Vincent Collet, it is a sporting pleasure to have both Wembanyama and fellow NBA star Rudy Gobert, the four-time Kia Defensive Player of the Yeardisrupting opposing offenses.
“If we want to achieve our dream, we will have to show exceptional defense,” said Collet, who will be assisted by the new Cleveland Cavaliers coach. Kenny Atkinson.
France, which has never won an Olympic gold medal in basketball, was scheduled to hold its first full practice Friday in Paris. They have six preparation matches in July.
Players will miss the opening ceremony of the Olympics on July 26 because France is due to play its first match the next day in Lille, 220 kilometers (136 miles) north of Paris, where the group stage of the 12-team tournament will take place.
“Victor would arrive in Lille at 3 or 4 a.m. if he participated in the ceremony. This would put a damper on his preparation for the Games,” explained Fabrice Canet, spokesperson for the French team.
France does not yet know its first opponent: it will win the last qualifying tournament next week. The host country then faces Japan and reigns world champion Germany in group B.
Playing in front of their home fans, France is considered one of the strongest teams alongside the United States, Canada, Serbia and Germany.
