• France has suffered a shock early exit from the 2023 FIBA World Cup
• The French lost by two points to Latvia after losing their group opener against Canada
• Rudy Gobert has become the target of trolls mocking France’s early exit from the tournament
The French national team will not be World Champions after being eliminated in the FIBA World Cup group stage. France’s fate was sealed after losing a closely fought 88-86 battle against Latvia. Rudy Gobert was supposed to lead this team to a possible medal finish, but the early exit has seen the French center get ruthlessly mocked on social media.
Them having Rudy gobert explains why they got eliminated 😂
— KayC (@KayCbruh) August 27, 2023
Bill Simmons, who recently advocated that Damian Lillard team up with Gobert on the Timberwolves, was shocked that the international trio of Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Evan Fournier failed to advance.
Can’t believe a team led by Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nic Batum flamed out in a basketball tournament, gonna need some time to digest this.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) August 27, 2023
Fans were calling Gobert a fraud.
RUDY GOBERT IS A FRAUD
— Big Gucci 🧟♂️ (@curlyyheadsage) August 27, 2023
More people mocked French fans for having faith in Gobert in the first place.
They thought gobert was gonna lead them to something💀
— J̸A̸K̸E̸ (@7J4KE) August 27, 2023
Gobert could have equalized on the final play of the game, standing alone in the paint, but none of his teammates passed him the ball.
https://twitter.com/FeelLikeDrew/status/1695824060335210736
Another fan said this loss was expected when Gobert is the main guy on a roster.
What happens when Rudy Gobert is your main guy https://t.co/zkqFfBOeqv
— Bkk (@NanyeGranny) August 28, 2023
Even though Gobert is catching a lot of flak, it’s unfair to unilaterally blame him for this. The French coaching staff didn’t use the size mismatch with Gobert, running only one set post-play for him the entire game.
Evan Fournier did his share, dropping an efficient 27 points and keeping his status as a killer in FIBA play alive. However, passive performances from both Gobert, who ended with 9 points and one made field goal, along with Nicolas Batum’s 13 points on good efficiency, meant that France didn’t have enough to overcome Latvia.
Five Teams Already Eliminated From The FIBA World Cup
The best thing about a four-team group competition is that the picture becomes clear by the end of every team’s second game. As a result, five teams were eliminated from the World Cup with losses yesterday, while five teams booked their berth in the second round.
Two heavy hitters have already been confirmed to exit in the first round, with the aforementioned France joining Lauri Markkanen’s Finland. Lebanon, Egypt, and Mexico also couldn’t keep their World Cup dream alive.
Other medal hopefuls have already cemented their status in the second round. Latvia’s shock win over France ensures they will advance, joined by medal contenders Canada from their group. Montenegro, Lithuania, and Germany have also qualified.
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