Les Bleus Captain Victor Wembanyama Speaks on Playing for France this Summer

SAN ANTONIO — Like the San Antonio Spur who came before him, Victor Wembanyama made history Wednesday morning back home in France.

Announced by Les Bleus via press release, Wembanyama was named captain of the French National Team by coach Frédéric Fauthoux, who cited the big man's "exemplary character" and "work ethic" as factors in his decision while addressing his team after practice.

At 22 years old, Wembanyama now becomes the group's youngest captain since Tony Parker in 2003, succeeding Rudy Gobert, who held the role during the earlier summer window.

"Being captain is first and foremost about setting an example," Wembanyama said in French, per the release. "This window is a good opportunity to experience this new chapter with the coaching staff as captain. It’s probably earlier than I expected ... but it’s not rushed.”

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; France power forward Victor Wembanyama (32) reacts in the first half against the United States in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Wembanyama and Les Bleus are set to face off against Nikola Jokić and the Team Serbian in two friendly matches ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, when France will play both Slovenia and Sweden as part of Round 2 of qualification.

All games can be streamed on DAZN and its dedicated app channel, Courtside 1891. Per DAZN's website, the stream is available either as a dedicated Courtside 1891 subscription, or as part of an existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee.

The schedule for all four matches is as follows:

Thursday, Aug. 20: FRA @ SRB | 1 p.m. Central (DAZN)
Sunday, Aug. 23: FRA vs. SRB | 1 p.m. Central (DAZN)
Thursday, Aug. 27: FRA vs. SLO | 1:30 p.m. Central (Courtside 1891)
Sunday, Aug. 30: FRA @ SWE | 10:30 a.m. Central (Courtside 1891)

Despite finishing his third NBA season with an NBA Finals berth just two months ago, Wembanyama made clear his reasoning for suiting up for France as it prepares to reserve a spot at next summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup, set to run from Aug. 27- Sept. 12 in Qatar.

"There are very few matches in an international career," Wembanyama recently told L'Équipe journalist Sami Sadik during Les Bleus training camp in Orléans, "so every single one truly counts. It's more powerful because it's worn over much shorter timeframes."

Wembanyama's time in France has allowed him to gel with familiar teammates from France's run at the 2024 Summer Olympics, as well as build on the framework they hope will carry over to the World Cup and, eventually, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"It's a very important time," Wembanyama began, "to get to know the coaching staff and new teammates, and to lay the groundwork. The following summers would be manageable without it, but it's better to start now ... we're all a bit new."

Whether Wembanyama is still the captain in the summers to come remains to be seen. But for now, he's focused on the matches ahead of him. And representing France well.

"I'm honored and excited," Wembanyama said of being named captain. "It's a great honor."

Add us as a preferred source on Google