"I wanted to be in Rio in 2016" - Victor Wembanyama talks about his "lifelong dream" of playing for France
The San Antonio Spurs have long been eliminated from the postseason, having ranked last in the Western Conference since mid-November. However, there is good news for Victor Wembanyama fans: they can support him in the 2024 Olympics, which will be hosted in Paris, France.
The Rookie of the Year favorite is looking forward to representing his country, a dream he said he has had for a very long time.
"We are representing the home country," he said about the Paris games. "It is going to be a very big deal. I can't wait. This is really a dream for me - to be in the Olympics. A lifelong dream. Like everything, I want to make the most out of it."
Wemby wanted to play in the Olympics earlier
The 19-year-old also said he had wanted to suit for "Les Bleus" for a while and wished he could have joined the squad for the 2016 Olympics.
"When I was a kid, when I just started basketball, I always told my parents that I wanted to be in Rio in 2016 with the basketball team," he added. "I am a little bit late. But it is all good."
Of course, Wembanyama didn't receive a call-up for national duty in 2016, presumably because he was only 11, although he did look pretty tall already then. The French men's basketball national team could have used more help after finishing just sixth.
France didn't call him for reinforcement again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, even though Wemby had already been playing for the junior national team at the time. The squad almost secured a gold-medal finish, losing to Team USA 87-82 in the championship game.
Wembanyama is going for gold
If people think the alien is looking to get some exposure in Paris, they're wrong. He said he is treating the competition with a championship-or-bust mentality.
That bodes well for a team that has never clinched first place in international competition outside Europe. It has won silver three times (1948, 2000, and 2020) and never placed higher than third in the World Cup.
With Wembanyama joining the frontcourt, France will again look like a strong contender for a podium finish despite receiving the heartbreaking news of Joel Embiid opting to play for Team USA.
Still, Wemby might prove more than enough for the French team because his skills fit well with NBA Defensive Player of the Year awardee Rudy Gobert and veterans Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and Nando De Colo.
