SAN ANTONIO (USA) - Just a few weeks ago, Victor Wembanyama lost at home the Final of the Paris 2024 Olympics. And he was visibly emotional about it. The whole planet saw those tears and the NBA Rookie of the Year 2024 addressed it during Media Day, a few weeks before his second NBA season.
"The emotion started when we qualified for the Gold Medal Game, first," Wembanyama said at his San Antonio Spurs media day.
"I felt really lucky to have the chance to live those experiences and I felt proud as well. But, during the elimination games, we were, for 40 minutes, we were locked in, thinking about one thing, the next play. Also, as a team, it builds something to have this level of concentration, all of us towards the same goal.
"So there was a lot of emotion but also some relief a couple of days after the Olympics because your body comes down, your mind comes down. The emotion is too much for me to contain. You have to scream or cry a little bit."
It looked early on like it may be a disappointing summer because France were not at their best. They needed a 4-point play from Matthew Strazel to force overtime against Japan before winning that one.
The hosts then suffered a heavy defeat to Germany. Yet they rebounded with wins over Canada and Germany in the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, respectively, before falling to the USA in the Final.
Wembanyama's time with France this summer will be something he remembers for a long time.
"That was a great experience, very demanding," he said. "First, for the tactical aspect of the game, but also because the Olympics is only six games, six games at best, so it's super high intensity, higher than I've seen.
"It's hard to win games in the Olympics. But it's very easy to lose games. As an example, Canada."
After beating Greece, Australia and Spain to top their group, Canada fell to France in the Quarter-Finals.
"I don't know what their expectations were, but they were home way too early compared to what they expected, because it just happens like this in one game," Wembanyama said.
The most intense sports experience in my life - Wemby
"I would say it's one of the most, maybe the most intense sports experience in my life."
Now that it's over and Wembanyama reflects on what took place with the national team, there are a lot of positives to draw on.
"There's a lot I learned from it," he said. "Different types of experiences. Stuff that I learned I'm going to use for my whole life, my whole career."
As for what the summer did for the upcoming season, Wembanyama, last year's NBA Rookie of the Year, expects to take another step towards the player he wants to become.
"The more I grow into my career, the more I realize it's important to work on fundamentals," he said. "So a big emphasis on my game this summer was making an advantage out of really simple situations. I'll give you an example. I've worked a lot on finishing. And finishing things that might look and be natural to any other player, to a guard, for example. But stuff I really had to put an emphasis on mentally and physically."
Wembanyama also paid tribute to Vincent Collet, the coach that brought him in to the France squad, the coach the was with him in Boulogne during his last year in France.
"Vincent knew it would probably be his last time," Wembanyama said. "It could have ended less well, but he did what was necessary to leave on a high note. He's by far the greatest coach of the French national team."
Victor Wembanyama has given a huge thumbs-up to the appointment of Frederic Fauthoux as coach of France, calling him "a true leader of men."
The JL Bourg coach, a former national team point guard, has succeeded long-time coach Vincent Collet following Les Bleus' second straight silver medal finish at the Olympics.
"Frederic's selection to the French national team makes me quite proud because I spent time with him in the past, at ASVEL. He's someone I like a lot, a true leader of men. There is a new generation coming into the French national team, both among the players and the coaches. I hope we'll have the chance to grow together."
FIBA