Victor Wembanyama is taking over as captain of the French men’s basketball team at age 22 ahead of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers later this month, making him the youngest to be named captain of the national team since Tony Parker in 2003.
Wembanyama, who succeeds Rudy Gobert as captain, was chosen for “his exemplary character, his work ethic and for the future,” national team head coach Frédéric Fauthoux said, according to a translation of a French basketball federation press release.
Wembanyama marked the occasion by delivering a speech to his teammates, noting “the veterans I watched play for the French national team when I was little.”
“Being captain is first and foremost about setting an example, being a leader, through performance on the court, knowing the systems, the opponents, and bringing calm,” Wembanyama said, according to the federation. “This window (of games) is a good opportunity to experience this new chapter with the coaching staff as captain. It’s probably earlier than I expected, and likely earlier than everyone else expected. But it’s not rushed either.”
Wembanyama may not have been captain at the Paris Olympics, but he led the French team to a runner-up finish, losing a classic final to the U.S. He scored a game-high 26 points in the final, plus made made the tournament all-star team along with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic and Dennis Schröder.
“I’m learning,” a teary-eyed Wembanyama said after the final. “I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years.”
If France qualifies for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, Wembanyama would be in line to be the youngest French men’s national team captain going into a major tournament since Parker at the 2003 EuroBasket.
It the Netflix series “Court of Gold,” outgoing 2024 French Olympic captain Nicolas Batum said, “My generation, the Tony generation, we’re gone now. Now the Wemby generation’s coming up and now this is yours.”
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