LeBron James did not hold back his criticism of Victor Wembanyama and the French national team after their recent performance at the Paris Olympics. James expressed his disappointment following France’s 85-71 loss to Germany, pointing out that the French team struggled with the physical nature of the game.
“I wasn’t very impressed with their last game,” James said. “I didn’t think they were ready for the physicality of Germany. Other than that, they were playing some good ball.”
In response, Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s reigning Rookie of the Year, addressed James’ comments with a confident stance. “I respect LeBron and his opinion, but we know what we’re capable of,” Wembanyama stated. “One game doesn’t define us, and we’re ready to prove ourselves in the upcoming matches. It’s about learning and growing, and we’re determined to come back stronger.”
France finished their group stage with a 2-1 record, with the loss to Germany being their only defeat. Despite leading his team with 14 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the game, Wembanyama acknowledged that the team needs to improve their cohesion and response to physical play.
“We need to be better, and we know that,” Wembanyama added. “But criticism is part of the game, and we’ll use it as motivation. Our focus is on working together as a team and showing what we can achieve.”
France’s head coach, Vincent Collet, also echoed the sentiment, stating that the team must adapt to the aggressive playstyle they face. “He [Wembanyama] stopped the ball too much,” Collet said. “Against that kind of aggressiveness, you can’t play that way. It’s important to move the ball.”
As Team USA prepares for their quarterfinal clash against Brazil, all eyes will be on France to see how they respond to the challenge. With talents like Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and Bilal Coulibaly, the French team has the potential to turn things around and make a deep run in the tournament.
“We’re not done yet,” Wembanyama declared. “We have the talent and the drive. Now it’s about putting it all together and showing the world what we can do.”
The upcoming games will be crucial for France as they seek to prove their critics wrong and aim for a medal in their home Olympics.
