Wembanyama picks European all-time starting 5, weighs in on pairing with Embiid / News - Basketnews.com

Victor Wembanyama had three French national team players on his all-time European starting five.

Credit: J.E.E/SIPA - Scanpix Credit J.E.E/SIPA - Scanpix

That was probably the lowest media presence Victor Wembanyama faced last month since his Las Vegas trip.

Player of the Game EFF 23 Victor Wembanyama Points 20 Accuracy 6-13 Rebounds 9 Assists 1

There were only a couple of media members in Panevezys on the eve of the 18-year-old debut in the French national team jersey.

But it doesn't make another Wembanyama's milestone less exciting.

"The national team game, for sure," Wembanyama didn't take much time to decide which game brought him more goosebumps - the upcoming one on Friday night vs. Lithuania or the first show-off to NBA people and American fans in Las Vegas.

"Cause it matters the most. I'm going to play a couple of the most important games in my life in the next couple of days. So yes, national team games," Wembanyama expanded in an interview with BasketNews.

Thirteen French national team players gathered this week for two FIBA window games in the FIBA World Cup 2023 qualifiers.

It's not the strongest lineup that 13-year France NT head coach Vincent Collet could have, as NBA and EuroLeague players couldn't join the group. But it has Denver Nuggets draftee Ismael Kamagate, NBA champ Axel Toupane, and national team veterans Andrew Albicy and Paul Lacombe headlining the roster.

As the NBA people say, it will be another exciting setting to test Wembanyama's abilities.

"It's just testing our ability to adapt in a short span of time," Wembanyama explained. "I think we're doing a pretty good job. We're going to see how it comes out. But we'll probably do great."

France is facing Lithuania, which leads Group K. France, 6-2, ranks second. With four games left, the top three teams of each European qualifiers group will advance to the World Cup.

France / Schedule

Lithuania France65-90 France Bosnia and HerzegovinaMon19:30

"Now we're going to have a tough game for sure. Lithuania is never easy to play. They have great shooters," Wembanyama recalled.

Lithuania makes one of his first national team basketball memories.

Wembanyama was 9 when he saw France and Lithuania meeting in the EuroBasket 2013 gold medal game. That night France won its first gold medal ever.

"I think it's the actually multiple losses we had in the finals or close to the finals. That just made me want to compete and win more," Wembanyama told BasketNews when asked about the biggest French national team memory. "But I remember the European title in 2013. I was just a kid, and I remember it."

Wembanyama will try to be a part of France's future victories, starting from the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Soon, French national team head coach Collet might have one of the best frontlines in FIBA basketball if Joel Embiid accepts an invitation to join Les Bleus to pair up with Wembanyama and Gobert.

"No matter the lineup, we're going to do our best," Wembanyama responded when asked how he imagines playing alongside Gobert and Embiid.

"I hope I'm going to be good and lucky enough to be part of this team. I trust my guys. I don't know about Joel, I never met or talked to him, but the guys on the national team, I know they want it," he added.

Asked to put his own European all-time starting five, Wembanyama took a couple of seconds to think about his selection.

The first three locks were clear: "Yes, I can name five players. Giannis (Antetokounmpo) at the four, Dirk (Nowitzki) at the five, and TP (Tony Parker) at the one."

But when he started putting everybody into positions and thought about remaining positions, he smiled: "Let me think about it. TP at the 1, Evan [Fournier] at the 2, Giannis at the 3, Dirk at the 4, and Rudy [Gobert] at the 5."

Only time will show if Wembanyama will join this solid group of international basketball stars.

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Full Victor Wembanyama interview:

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