Wembanyama admits that representing France in the Olympics at home will hit differently when he hears the national anthem for the first time, and it's still a dream come true for him.
At 19 years old, Victor Wembanyama will play in his first Olympic Games in his young basketball career. The global phenomenon, although as popular as any player in the world, still can't believe it's happening.
France
Brazil
Japan"It's hard to realize that it's really the Olympics," Wemby said in a video conference from a training facility in Wattignies, France.
Wemby is already the team leader despite the squad having established veterans like Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, or Rudy Gobert. Despite having tremendous responsibility early on, the thought of representing France at the Olympics at home will hit different when the event starts, the players says.
"I experience it differently from the other Olympics that I have observed. I think I will only realize it when I experience my first Marseillaise," he said about hearing the French national anthem. "It's still a dream."
France won just two out of six games in the preparatory cycle before the Olympics, winning against Turkiye and Germany but losing to Serbia, Germany, Canada, and Australia. The team averaged 78.8 points per game, and multiple players expressed their thoughts that the team was struggling offensively.
"It's better to put yourself in difficulty before to be ready afterward. I think we are on the right track," Wembanyama said.
"The energy there is in the staff and the players is just incredible. There is so much desire to do well that I've never seen in other teams. Confidence is still very high. We know that the road will not be entirely smooth," the French phenomenon said.
France starts its Olympic quest on Saturday, July 27th, with a game against Brazil.
