SAN ANTONIO (USA) - The most intriguing and maybe the most important national team player in international basketball, Victor Wembanyama of France, is planning to suit up and play for his country this summer.
Speaking at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles to BeIn Sports, the 2.24m (7'4") sensation said his aim is to don the France jersey this summer when the national team goes up against Hungary, Belgium and Finland.
Asked about the international windows in the summer, Wemby said: "It's absolutely my goal to take part."
Given how motivated, serious, and engaged he was at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, we can imagine how intense Wemby would be with France, knowing that qualification for the 2027 World Cup - and therefore the 2028 LA Olympics - is on the line.
A few weeks ago, Rudy Gobert said he would also consider playing for France too in the 2026 summer.
It remains to be seen if he will appear in one or both windows, since Wembanyama's MVP-caliber play is leading the San Antonio Spurs' charge for a spot in the playoffs, and fueling hopes of a first NBA title for the team since 2014.
San Antonio are second in the Western Conference and look like a team that could make it to the Finals.
If Wembanyama and the Spurs are in the NBA Finals and go all the way to Game 7 on June 19 - that is just 15 days before the first of two France games in the third window, at Belgium on July 3, with Finland next on July 6.
"It's absolutely my goal to take part"
In that case, Wemby may not join France until the fourth window, in August.
"For the August window, it"s my goal to be there," he said.
For now, he prefers to smile about it. Wemby wants to be an NBA champion.
"I hope I won't be able to take part in the first window - that would mean we went all the way to the NBA Finals," he said. "I hope the timing will be too tight."
If that scenario happens, his France teammates would have to secure qualification for the Second Round of the European Qualifiers without him.
If France advance to the Second Round, games during the week of August 24 to September 1, those games would not be problematic for Wemby - even if San Antonio make it to the NBA Finals.
"For the August window, absolutely - it's my goal to be there," he said. "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I stay healthy."
This has always been the plan for France's head coach Frederic Fauthoux.
France won their home game against Belgium in the first window of the European Qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup but fell at Finland in the next.
In the window that is coming up soon, the French play at Hungary, who have two wins, on February 27. They will then host the same team in Le Mans on March 1.
No matter what happens, Wembanyama has basketball fans sitting on the edge of their seats whenever he's on the floor.
With France at the Olympics, he made the All-Tournament team with some dynamic displays and in the NBA, he's averaging 24.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. San Antonio are 38-16 and just four games adrift of defending NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.
FIBA