Inside The Spurs

Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert Put Up Defensive Masterclass vs. Turkey in France Blowout Win

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Les Bleus notched a win in their first exhibition game of the summer, cruising past Turkey 96-56 behind the 7-footer's strong all-around performance.

Matt Guzman

Feb 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) talk after the game at Target Center.
Feb 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) talk after the game at Target Center. / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
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Decked out in the jersey of the French national team, Victor Wembanyama put shots up prior to facing off against Turkey in the first exhibition game of the summer.

As the San Antonio Spurs star shot the ball, he found the bottom of the net, and before he realized it, he'd made seven in row. In the moment, that was enough, as Wembanyama put his arms down and trotted back toward his team's sideline to prepare for the matchup ahead.

Then, he went on to score more than half of Turkey's entire point total. Les Bleus emerged victorious, 96-56, behind the 20-year-old's stellar performance as he finished with 24 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. He didn't do it alone, however.

Alongside him was Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. The French big who beat him out in the Defensive Player of the Year rankings.

Now, his teammate.

With both of the two best defenders in the NBA, France was able to hold Turkey to under 50 points, and in the 20 minutes that Wembanyama was on the floor, the team as a whole shot 1-24. Wembanyama's presence on defense clearly disrupted any momentum that Turkey hoped to build, not to mention the chemistry that was born from a month's worth of preparation.

If the odds needed to fall in the favor of France anymore, Turkey didn't field any NBA players this offseason as Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengün continues to recover from an ankle sprain that made him miss ample playing time last season. As such, the win isn't as telling as it could have been — in fact, it might have been moreso if the game had been close or fallen the other way.

That doesn't mean it wasn't a good boost of momentum for France, however, which will attempt to give the United States some competition for gold this summer. If that does end up being the case, Wembanyama will have played a large part in it.

France has four more exhibition games on its docket prior to the Olympic Games in Paris later this month. Next up is a test against Germany — which has Dennis Schröder, Mo and Franz Wagner and Daniel Theis — on July 8.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST.

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Matt Guzman

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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