Rudy Gobert feeling in great shape, aims World Cup gold medal / News - Basketnews.com

Rudy Gobert is feeling better than last season after two months of dedicated training and eyeing the elusive gold medal in the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2023.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Minnesota Timberwolves and French national team center Rudy Gobertis getting ready for his fourth consecutive major international basketball tournament this summer.

Rudy Gobert

Position:CAge:31Height:216 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:FranceProfileNewsStatistics

Gobert feels better than he did at the end of the last season, thanks to dedicating two months of hard work to prepare his body.

"It's always a pleasure to meet the guys, players that I don't see most of the year," Gobert said, via L'Equipe. "I feel better than at the end of the previous season. I was able to do two months of individual training, where I prepared my body physically and technically. I feel in great shape."

Reflecting on his previous doubts in April about participating in the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2023, Gobert highlights the importance of considering his fitness and physical recovery as a professional athlete.

"As a professional player, I also have to think about my health, my physical recovery, and a lot of things that can be hard to understand for those who don't know the daily life of an athlete, especially a high-level NBA player. The break after the end of the season was short, and I trained a lot in June and July. Now, I feel good, and that's also why I'm here."

When it comes to the World Cup, Gobert is enthusiastic about the team's mindset at the beginning of their preparation.

"I really like the state of mind we have at the start of the cycle," Gobert stressed. "We are going to play a World Cup, where there are more games than in the Olympic Games. We want to continue to progress every day, including during the competition. The end goal is to win the gold medal, the one we haven't yet managed to get."

Gobert, 31, has won five medals with the senior men's national team -- including silver at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 last autumn -- and brings an imposing presence as one of the elite rim protectors in the world of basketball.

During FIBA World Cup 2023, France will play in Group H in Jakarta, Indonesia, and face Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon. If France advances to the Second Round, it will meet teams from Group G, consisting of Iran, Spain, and Ivory Coast.

France will compete in seven preparation games ahead of the World Cup 2023 and face Tunisia, Montenegro, Venezuela, Lithuania (twice), Japan, and Australia.

France friendly games schedule for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

France FIBA World Cup preparation schedule

Date Opponent Location July 31st Tunisia Pau, France August 2nd Montenegro Montpellier, France August 7th Venezuela Orleans, France August 9th Lithuania Orleans, France August 11th Lithuania Vilnius, Lithuania August 17th Japan Tokyo, Japan August 20th Australia Tokyo, Japan Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.