Brian WindhorstESPN Senior Writer Jun 26 2023 7:14am ET3 minutes read
Victor Wembanyama already feels “at home” in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama describes the whirlwind he’s faced since being drafted to Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 draft pick, has opted not to play for France at this summer’s FIBA World Championship and will instead focus on preparing for his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs and the Olympics focus in Paris next year.
This is a reversal from Wembanyama’s previously voiced plans for the summer and a blow to the French, the current Olympic silver medalists, who plan to be a serious contender for the world title in Manila, Philippines in August and September.
Wembanyama still plans to attend at least a few Spurs summer league games in July.
“It would be unrealistic in terms of development and inadvisable in terms of health,” Wembanyama said when announcing his decision to French newspaper L’Equipe. “I hope people understand that. It’s frustrating for me too. The French 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.”
Wembanyama said in the interview that Spurs supported every decision he made and that he made that decision himself after consulting his personal medical staff. Part of the choice, Wembanyama told L’Equipe, was the number of games he wanted to play over a two-year period.
He made 62 total appearances this season with the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans (92) to reach the French league final. Including his first season with Spurs and plans for the Olympics, he expects to play about 170 games over a 24-month period. That made the World Cup seem like too much.
In order to distinguish the FIBA World Cup from the FIFA World Cup, international basketball officials changed the timing of the event in 2019 to move the FIBA event away from the summer FIFA had hosted its global soccer tournament. However, as a result, the FIBA World Championship is held in consecutive summers with the Olympics.
This schedule change had a dramatic impact on the American stars playing for Team USA and is also impacting the NBA stars playing for their home nations.
Team Serbia, another contender for the title this summer, awaits a decision from national hero Nikola Jokic after his long trek to the NBA title with the Denver Nuggets.