When it comes to the sport of basketball, the USA has always been cut above the rest of the world. From the infamous ‘Dream Team’ lineup to the admirable ‘Redeem Team’ story, Team USA has a long and storied history of success.
As time has gone by, however, other countries have started to catch up. If you’re looking for proof, just take a look at the potential Team France lineup with Joel Embiid, Victor Wembanyama, and 3x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
In a recent chat with the media, Gobert spoke on the potential partnership with Wembanyama and Embiid and expresses his doubt that any team could them.
The French are already scaring people, and the next sentence is a simply frightening thought for Team USA, the Australians or any other top country with grand designs of men’s basketball World Cup titles and Olympic gold.
There is a real chance Joel Embiid plays for Les Bleus, lining up next to fellow 7-footers Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, either this summer or next.
“They can’t,” said Gobert, the 7-foot-2, three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year whose game is perfect for international rules. “But the international game is not about getting the best players on paper.
“If Joel’s heart is with us and he wants to do it for the right reasons, it would be an amazing opportunity for our team.”
On paper, a front court of Gobert, Embiid, and Wembanyama could compete against anyone, even Team USA. But as Gobert would go on to explain, it’s not always about what looks best on paper.
Rudy Gobert Gives Warning To Embiid On Conditions Of Joining Team France
On the international stage, it can be hard to juggle the egos of the country’s best players, and it’s why Team France makes it a point to treat no individual above the team.
“It has to come from him. “You are either all in, or you’re not. You can’t just show up. For me the most important thing is if his heart tells him to be a part of Team France,” Gobert told The Athletic. “I want him to do it for the right reasons. As long as he understands that the French national team is different than the NBA. We have rules, we have things that we do. Sometimes we all have lunch and dinner together — it’s not everybody doing their own thing. These are two different teams.”
Only time will tell how the final roster looks for Team France, but there are some high hopes for what they can do on the world stage. Wembanyama in particular, he’s a guy who is good enough to vault his team to the top of any basketball hierarchy.
Can the same be true for Team France, and for the lucky NBA franchise that ends up drafting Victor? Rudy Gobert sure seems to think so, and who are we to argue?
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