Victor Wembanyama may be doing serious work for France in the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers, but that hasn’t stopped his teammates from having a little fun at his expense.
A video that recently surfaced on X, formerly Twitter, showed France guards Nadir Hifi and Matthew Strazel cracking up over Wembanyama’s Nike shoes, which are size 21. The pair were seen mimicking the 7’4” center/forward’s shooting rhythm while also pretending his shoes were a phone.
The joke came during a busy stretch for the French team, which just played back-to-back exhibition games against Nikola Jokic’s Serbia. France dropped the first meeting 90-87, then turned the tables with a 91-90 win on Sunday.
Wembanyama delivered a strong performance in the rematch, logging 24 minutes and finishing with 18 points, five blocks and a 5-of-11 shooting line. Jokic answered with a big night of his own, putting up 34 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Even with the games splitting the difference, both stars came away showing respect for one another. When asked what he had learned from Jokic, Wembanyama kept it simple: “Of course you always learn when you play against Jokic. You always catch some stuff and smarter moves on the court in those duels with him,” he said.
Team France poking fun at Wembanyama #nba #porvida #sanantonio pic.twitter.com/XRWiYrNLyP
— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) August 24, 2026
Jokic was equally complimentary after the first matchup, calling Wembanyama a player with rare upside: “He has the opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we’ve ever seen. It only depends on him how well he’s gonna fit, how well he’s gonna work hard, how well he’s gonna get to his spots, and treat his body well. He definitely has the opportunity to be the best ever,” he said after their first clash.
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