San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has cleared some space on his busy offseason calendar.
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, had originally planned to play for his native France in the FIBA World Cup ahead of his first NBA season. The 19-year-old told French newspaper L’Equipe on Monday that his plans have changed.
“It would not be realistic in terms of development and not prudent in terms of health,” Wembanyama said, via a translation provided by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “I hope people will understand. It’s frustrating for me, too. The France team is still central for me. I want to win as many titles as possible with the team. But I think it’s a necessary sacrifice.”
A report earlier this month claimed Wembanyama would play for the French national team and sit out the NBA Summer League schedule, but the 7-foot-2 prospect has decided to do the opposite. Wembanyama confirmed last week that he will play in some Summer League games.
Wembanyama is viewed by many as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James. He has a very noteworthy goal for his rookie season, and accomplishing it will require staying healthy and fresh. That is likely why Wembanyama, possibly with a nudge from the Spurs, has decided to cross one thing off his busy schedule.
