San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, will skip the upcoming FIBA World Cup. According to Wembanyama, he made the decision in order to focus on his rookie season in NBA.
France had high hopes for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, expecting to be one of the main contenders with Wembanyama on board. Now, they will likely have a much tougher job of getting one of the medals.
Wembanyama previously intended to play at the upcoming tournament but recently changed his mind due to health concerns. He played four games for France during qualifiers for FIBA World Cup, averaging 19.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
“It would not be realistic in terms of development and not prudent in terms of health,” Wembanyama told French media outlet L’Equipe. “I hope people will understand. It’s frustrating for me, too. The France team is still central for me. I want to win as many titles as possible with the team. But I think it’s a necessary sacrifice.”
France will have a tough group at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, facing Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon. They are hoping to improve on their past two World Cup appearances, when they finished third on both occasions.
