Wembanyama: “I’ve been preparing for it since I first saw the Olympics on television”
A few days before the first preparation match against Türkiye in Rouen (July 3) in France, it was a relaxed Victor Wembanyama who faced the journalists after his successful first season in the NBA.
Not yet authorized to participate in the Blues’ collective training sessions (like all NBA players), the 20-year-old interior player did not hide his excitement at playing his first international competition with the Blues.
“I’ve been preparing for it since I first saw the Olympics on TV and as I grew up it became a goal. It’s a unique event in sport, the biggest event in the world.”
To Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesthe French men’s basketball team will aim for a fourth Olympic medal in its history after the silver at the 1948 London Olympics, Sydney 2000 et Tokyo 2020.
“It all started from a dream (the gold medal) : we know that we have the possibility of reaching it, we were silver medalists at the last Olympics. They were not far away.
The association of the rookie of the year (2.24 m), with Rudy Gobert(2.16 m), four-time NBA defender of the year, makes fans and experts alike salivate. A racket with exceptional defensive potential that could lead the French team very high.
“The goal is to bring something new. Our goals are something we’ve never achieved in the past and we have to find a way to achieve them. I’m excited and eager to share the field with all my teammates and Rudy (Gobert) in particular. It’s something we talk about a lot with the staff, with the players and I think we’re on the same wavelength.”
Not afraid of the competition, Victor Wembanyama recalled the ambitions of the French team, Olympic vice-champion and European vice-champion.
“Bad results are part of the game, part of a career, it doesn’t worry me. I wasn’t part of this team last year so I can’t talk about it, but from what I see this year, everyone is dreaming of these Olympics, we are all in the starting blocks, ready to set the ball foot on the ground with intensity. I see him in training. The objectives come from what I see during this preparation. Both from the players and the staff. »
Currently at 17 players, the final list of 12 players will be announced on July 8, after a match in Rouen against Türkiye and a trip to Cologne to face Germany, the reigning world champion (July 6).
