By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
During the NBA Night, the two French national team’s centers made a statement ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris, being both dominant in one of the first games of 2024.
Rudy Gobert led the Minnesota Timberwolves with a huge double-double of 24 points (9/11 from the field and 6/8 at the line) and 17 rebounds to keep stay 1st in the standings. “We want to see each other succeed. We want to be able to win together. That’s unique. In this league, a lot of teams have egos. I think we’re both in a place in our career now where it’s about winning. Nothing else matters”, he said.
Victor Wembanyama also followed with a double-double of 26 points (9/14 from the field, 2/3 from beyond the arc, and 6/6 from the charity stripe) and 11 rebounds. “We are doing our best to have me on the court as much as we can. But they want to be smart, and I have to listen to them”, he commented in the post-game press conference.
After the win, he also addressed the criticism over the Spurs not giving him the ball enough. “Of course, I heard of it, but it’s never been close to reality. It’s nothing to worry about. I’m not a conventional player. I needed time to figure out how I wanted to play and how I needed to play for the team. I guess everyone needed time to figure out how to play with me”, the French 19-year-old shared.
With Moustapha Fall, Mathias Lessort, and Vincent Poirier doing great in this year’s EuroLeague Regular Season, Vincent Collet will have a hard time making his choices for Paris, considering that Rudy Gobert is averaging 13.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game, while Victor Wembanyama has 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per night.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images