Victor Wembanyama's withdrawal from the Basketball World Cup could help Canada
No. 1 NBA draft pick was slated to face Canada in the group stage
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Victor Wembanyama announced today that he won't play for France at this summer's Basketball World Cup. The 19-year sensation previously said he would take part in the tournament — a key qualifier for next year's Olympics in Paris — but revealed the change of plans four days after being picked first overall in the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs.
"It would not be realistic in terms of development and not prudent in terms of health," Wembanyama told the French newspaper L'Equipe. The 7-foot-4 centre added that pulling out of the World Cup was a "difficult" decision that he made "on his own" after consulting with his medical team.
The loss of Wembanyama could be a blow to France's medal chances at the World Cup, where they're coming off back-to-back bronze wins in 2014 and '19. But it won't necessarily hurt their bid for a second straight Olympic podium. The 2021 silver medallists are guaranteed a spot in Paris next summer as the host nation.
WATCH | Wembanyama selected No. 1 overall by San Antonio Spurs:
The other obvious losers here are basketball fans, who were excited to see the most highly touted prospect since LeBron James compete on a big international stage before making his NBA debut in the fall. They'll now have to get their Wembanyama fix via next month's NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where the phenom is still planning to play for the Spurs' team.
A possible winner from Wembanyama's withdrawal is Canada. The Canadian men are in France's group for the World Cup, so their path to advancing to the next round — and perhaps all the way to Olympic qualification — may have just gotten easier. The top two teams from the group, which also includes Latvia and Lebanon, move on to a second round of group play, from which eight teams advance to the quarterfinals.
For the Canadian men to secure their first Olympic berth since 2000 at the World Cup, they need to finish as one of the top two teams from their region, the Americas. The United States is pretty much a lock for one of those spots. But, with a roster full of NBA talent, there's no reason why Canada can't grab the other one.
Canadian NBA stars Jamal Murray (the second-best player on the Denver Nuggets team that just won the championship) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (fifth in MVP voting and fourth in scoring this season with 31.4 points per game for Oklahoma City) have committed to the World Cup team, along with OKC's Lu Dort and the Knicks' R.J. Barrett. Andrew Wiggins (arguably the second-best player on Golden State's title team last year) has not, but there's still time for him to join.
Other notable NBA players on the roster could include Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin, who averaged close to 17 points as a rookie this season; gritty wing Dillon Brooks; and veteran big men Kelly Olynyk and Dwight Powell. Seven-foot-4 giant Zach Edey, the reigning NCAA player of the year, has also committed.
The World Cup tips off Aug. 25, with games in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The knockout stage, culminating with the Sept. 10 final, will be played in the Manila metro area. For more on what's coming up this summer for Canadian basketball, including an Olympic qualifier for the women's national team, read this story by CBC Sports' Myles Dichter.
