“Don’t Give a Damn About Politics”: Embarrassment Exit Without Victor Wembanyama Ensues 34YO NBA Star Lashing Out at France

The FIBA World Cup has thrown curveballs. The competition level has peaked and games are getting closer and closer. In this wake, some teams could not live up to the hype. And the exit of France falls in this ambit. They had a veteran squad consisting of veteran defenders, but they lost their two initial games, with no way of qualifying further. This has caused frustration among the members of the team.

One member appeared flustered after the exit. In the loss against Latvia, they let go of a big lead.

A trail of disappointment

The French Men had built a strong 14-point lead before the fourth quarter. Leading 76-62, there was no doubt that they were the favorites. However, they collapsed on both ends of the floor.

With a minute to go, their lead was just three points and then the team started to play some of the worst basketball in the closing minute. They allowed a lot of free throws and the lanes were open.

They had a chance to win the game, but Sylvain Francisco’s shot didn’t fall in, although it came close.

This loss caused severe disappointment among players and fans alike. Clippers‘ Nicolas Batum had a strong game, posting 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists. However, the 34-year-old veteran didn’t hide his disappointment in the way his team fumbled the match. 

During the post-game interview with beIN sports, the Forward was irate. As per the Google Translation, he stated, “Everyone must question themselves: coaches, players, federation. I don’t give a damn about politics, we need the best possible French team. I messed up my last World Cup. It really pisses me off”.

The reference to politics comes from the French Basketball Federation banning Thomas Heurtel from participating. He opted to play for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB league, which is Russian. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Federation deemed his participation illegible. His shooting and playmaking were missed by the team.

In the same vein, Rudy Gobert, who underperformed again, sounded off. As per the Google translation, he said, ”Maybe subconsciously, the fact that we were expected a little too much, we forgot why we were there, what was our strength, to play together, to play hard and to impact the teams. Every game we were the least tough team”.

Would things have been different if they had Victor Wembanyama?

What if Victor Wembanyama played?

Wemby pulled out of the World Cup to prepare for the NBA rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs. His absence was lamented by Nicolas Batum. After a two-game stint in the Summer League, the French man was shut down.

He showed a terrific skillset in the brief showing and he could have been a terrific counter to both the Canadian and the Latvian inside defense. 

The pairing of Wemby and Gobert could have been unstoppable on the defensive end too, and France would have a multi-faceted player, something they lacked during their campaign.

Wouldn’t you have loved a dose of Wembanyama in the World Cup? Do share in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Which Nation Has Won the Most FIBA World Cups?