By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Returning home as captain of Les Bleus, Victor Wembanyama relished the electric atmosphere at Orleans’ CO’Met Arena during France’s exhibition victory over Serbia on Sunday.
“It’s strange to suit up in France again, but honestly, there’s nothing easier than coming back and playing big games like this,” the San Antonio Spurs superstar said during his postgame press conference, reflecting on returning to France with the senior national team after two years.
Getting the nod at the five spot under head coach Frederic Fauthoux, Wemby paired with Rudy Gobert to power the interior defense. “From the opening tip, I felt more comfortable operating out of the paint,” he explained.
Despite a furious second-half surge driven by Nikola Jokic’s 34-point, 13-rebound masterclass, the young skipper valued the schematic test for his evolving squad. “We are a newly assembled roster and don’t have our chemistry down quite yet, so it was crucial to establish our foundational identity,” noted the 22-year-old towering center.
“My message in the locker room before tip-off was that we must protect home court and not take any opponent lightly,” he added. “It is an exhibition match, but we need to develop championship habits. We learned a few key lessons today.”
As the Les Bleus captain, he faced the dominant Denver Nuggets big once more, three days after battling the same national team in Belgrade.
“Of course, you always learn when you play against Jokic,” Wembanyama remarked. “From those interior duels, you pick up counters, smarter footwork.”
After his clutch free throws steadied the hosts late in crunch time, Jaylen Hoard converted a buzzer-beating layup out of a baseline execution to secure the friendly win.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed a game-winner quite like that live,” the Alien exclaimed. “I had a front-row view of the game-winning bucket. An unbelievable feeling.”
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