Last summer, one of the most thrilling sports moments was Victor Wembanyama making his debut for team France and nearly stealing the gold medal from the Americans on his home court at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
While EuroBasket is not the same as the Olympics, it is still a major FIBA tournament, and the French are expected to defend the dominance they laid out last summer.
Unfortunately, Wembanyama is yet to resume full-contact basketball drills, and even with his return imminent, he will not suit up for Les Bleus this summer.
As much as fans would like to see him play earlier than the start of the regular season, the Spurs can take a sigh of relief knowing that their superstar is willing to take things slow when needed.
"Returning to team training? I think we're very close to that, yes," RC Buford told Le Parisien.
Wembanyama has been seen this summer playing soccer, doing kung-fu, and playing in pickup games around the world, although he has yet to start formal drills with the Spurs. However, his travel does suggest that his deep vein thrombosis is in the rearview mirror, and now he simply needs to get back into shape.
Just by looking at photos he's posted of his travels, he appears to have added both muscle and weight, much to the delight of fans.
The French National Team will have their hands full without Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert dropping out does not help. It is expected that Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly will play a bigger role for the French.
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