In the midst of a deep NBA Playoff run with the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama is expected not to play for the French national team in the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifying window.
In the wake of the San Antonio Spurs’ march to the Western Conference Finals after eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games of the second round, it appears unlikely that Victor Wembanyama will suit up for Les Bleus this upcoming offseason.
Appearing on Super Moscato Show on RMC, French national team head coach Frederic Fauthoux revealed that the NBA superstar isn’t expected to join them in the 2027 World Cup qualifying window.
This marks another time that Wembanyama will not participate in French basketball on the international stage. He skipped the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to focus on his first NBA season upon being chosen by the Spurs as the No. 1 pick of the draft.
And last EuroBasket 2025, he intended to sit out and fully recover after his 2024-25 outing was cut short due to threatening blood clot issues in his right shoulder.
Wembanyama last represented France in 2024, powering the nation’s silver medal finish in the Paris Olympics.
The NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Wembanyama spearheaded the Spurs to a 62-win campaign this year and a trip back to the West Finals for the first time in the franchise’s history since 2017.
This postseason, he is averaging a staggering 22.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 blocks across 11 games, as he and San Antonio are about to face the defending champion OKC Thunder for the right to enter the NBA Finals.
Despite Wembanyama’s absence, Fauthoux announced that Rudy Gobert will still be there to anchor France.
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