basketball • FIBA World Cup

Will Victor Wembanyama play at FIBA World Cup 2023?

August 20, 2023 1:50 pm

The 19th edition of the FIBA World Cup will take place from August 25th to September 10th in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. As the 32 national basketball teams battle for supremacy some of the top NBA stars opted to play but others opted to rest ahead of the new NBA season. Here we take a look at the status of the hottest NBA rookie in decades the 2023 NBA Draft number 1 pick Victor Wembanyama.

Wemby France scaled
(Photo by Herve Bellenger/Icon Sport)

Which country does Wemby represent?

Victor Wembanyama is born and raised in France and since age 12 he has been representing only France. Wemby already made an impact in the men’s national team so he is bound to play for France for the rest of his career.

Is Wemby planning to create Asian madness?

The generational basketball talent Victor Wembanyama had a long season in the French league with Metz 92 as he dragged this modest team to the final of the domestic league. He then got busy with the madness of the NBA Draft where everyone predicted he was the number 1 pick for the San Antonio Spurs. About to embark on his first 82-game NBA regular season Wemby decided it will be wiser to miss the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“It would be unrealistic in terms of development and unwise in terms of health,” Wembanyama said. “The French team is as central to my career as ever. I want to win every title I can with them. But to achieve that, this summer is a necessary sacrifice,”

“In the past, as soon as I could go to international competitions, I did. I’ve never been able to enjoy a summer with several months of development for my body. For this new phase of my life, it’s essential. The Spurs staff are ready to make this summer profitable. We can’t afford for it to be wasted time.”

Are France a contender then?

With both Wemby and Joel Embiid opting out of the French squad their chances are much slimmer. Still, the French have Ruddy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fornier in their ranks so competing for the medals is bound to be their target.

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About the author

Iskra

Iskra had a promising, at least she believed so, tennis and volleyball careers as a junior but a series of injuries ended her hopes to become a professional athlete very early.

Instead, she focused all her energy on her other passion, writing. For over a decade, Iskra had been a freelance sports writer. Football, basketball and tennis are the main fields of her expertise.