The pivot of the Blues notably mentioned the Joel Embiid case on Tuesday, in a press briefing, in Nanterre.
Rudy Gobert is fine, thank you for him. “Motivated» for this start of preparation with the French basketball team and as always ambitious for Euro 2022 (September 1-18), with only gold in mind («Personally, I’m tired of bronze and silver medals“). However, the new Timberwolves player did not participate in the collective session this Tuesday morning in Nanterre. “It had been since the play-offs that I had not opposed. I have a lot of individual work, physical work, and I had a little knee pain at the end of the season. In the next few days, I will do the workouts thoroughly“, he swears, adding that there is “no problem».
No problem with the knee, but the announced arrival of Joel Embiid in the France team, is it one for him? Both players play in the same position. And the answer of the giant of Saint-Quentin is… ambiguous. “He’s an incredible player… After that, there are a lot of things that we have to think about in terms of logistics and above all, that it’s possible“, he slips. In this case, it will be soon: the Cameroonian pivot has been naturalized. He just has to get his passport and the Fiba license to be selected. And Gobert continues:It’s clear that Joel is a unique player. We have an already well-knit team and a group that lives well together too… It’s clear that we have to see how it could work for the group“. Vincent Collet, he did not hide his intention to call Embiid. Perhaps as soon as the 2023 World Cup, or in 2024, in Paris.
It’s the Paris Olympics and we’re not in Paris… That’s the negative point.
Rudy Gobert
Although, the Olympic Games will begin in Lille for the Blues of basketball, before joining Bercy for the final phase. 2024 in Lille: “It’s better than the first option», smiles Gobert, referring to Hall 6 of the Parc des Expositions at Porte de Versailles. “The positive point is that we will play in front of an even larger audience than in the NBA. It’s great for French sport, the fans and us too, it can be incredible. Afterwards, of course, we are not in Paris. It’s the Paris Olympics and we’re not in Paris… That’s the negative point. But we know that the Olympics are not the small local tournament (smile). There are plenty of tournaments, sports to manage. We want our sport to be respected at its fair value in France. We hope to get there one day. But we already appreciate the fact that they made the effort to change that.” We’re not there yet…
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In the meantime, it’s time to prepare for the Euro in Germany, with six matches on the menu, including two in the context of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup. A necessarily special summer for Gobert after his trade with the T-Wolves.. . “When you start a new adventure, with a new team, a new organization, there is inevitably the desire to rise even more and the excitement of a new challenge. It would be a lie if I said that it does not add more motivation even if in general I do not miss it“, he laughs, he who will have to assume even more responsibilities and “take overwith Evan Fournier in the absence of Nicolas Batum and Nando De Colo. And to add, more generally:We know that the task will by no means be easy but we believe in our strengths and we will work hard for a month to put ourselves in the best possible conditions and get as close as possible.of the European coronation. After bronze at the 2019 World Cup and silver at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, there is no question of hiding: “This is the mentality of the France team».
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