In Nanterre, his training club, Victor Wembanyama appeared in an event organized by Nike to present, among other things, the new French team jersey to the press. He took the opportunity to look back on his future role within Vincent Collet’s group this summer.
For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the French team has a stated objective of winning a medal at home, with a group whose contours are still unclear. Vincent Collet announced 19 names for the preparation, which will become 12 for the competition. Among the veterans used to being called up (Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert…), young people for whom it is the first time (Bilal Coulibaly, Nadir Hifi, Killian Hayes…), there is obviously Victor Wembanyama.
The San Antonio Spurs pivot is an unmissable attraction in the French sporting landscape, recently unanimously named Rookie of the Year after an exceptional first season in the NBA. But with the French team, what role can we expect from Wembanyama? The main person concerned does not immediately want to don a white – white – red superhero costume, quite the contrary. Here is what he said to our colleague from The Team Yann Ohnona.
“What if I have a new boss status? I don’t think that’s my label. The role I will play inspires me… patience. I arrive to learn from some who are among the best players in the history of the Blues. I’m not here to explain how to do it to those who have five, six, seven international campaigns under their belts. I have no doubt that I will have responsibilities, but they will be realistic, I will be given as many as necessary.”
Wemby celebrated his 20th birthday in January, and has no experience of a major international competition (like the Olympics) with the senior group. Certainly, the 2m21 interior will be the defensive – and undoubtedly offensive – anchor point of the group, but he is also a young player serving his teammates. In mentoring and leadership, Victor Wembanyama places his trust in the coach and the pillars of the EDF in order to go as far as possible.
“We all have ambition in terms of results and game plan. We know that we will evolve with a team profile different from anything that the French team has known in the past. We will have to innovate […] On the other hand, I did not participate in the construction of the team or the tactical plan.”
One of the main challenges of the summer, apart from adversity on the courts, will first be to find balance and hierarchy. Who do you turn to when you take an 8-0 run? What can you rely on if you have to keep a score? More generally, how to succeed in defining a collective identity based on defense, as mentioned by Vincent Collet a few days ago? Here are the questions surrounding the Blues before this summer’s big event.
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Text Source: L’Equipe
