Victor Wembanyama got exactly what he needed from France’s two friendlies against Serbia: minutes, a win, and a clear read on where Les Bleus still have work to do.
The biggest lesson came the hard way, with Nikola Jokić across from him. Wembanyama opened up about the matchup after France’s 91-90 victory Sunday at CO'Met Arena in Orléans, a game that flipped late after Serbia had erased a 19-point halftime deficit.
“You always learn when you play against Jokić,” Wembanyama admitted.
France had to sweat all the way to the finish. Marko Gudurić briefly put Serbia ahead with 4.7 seconds left, but Jaylen Hoard answered with a fast-break layup at the buzzer to seal the win. That came after France had looked in control early, leading 54-35 at halftime.
Jokić was the engine behind Serbia’s comeback, piling up 34 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Serbia pulled even at 68 early in the fourth quarter and eventually moved in front, which gave Wembanyama and France a few blunt takeaways.
“Today we learned several lessons," the Frenchman said. "We have a weakness when we have a 20-point lead. We are a newly assembled roster and don’t have our chemistry down.”
Wembanyama’s own line showed real progress from the first meeting. He finished with 18 points and two blocks, nearly doubling his scoring from the opener.
France also cleaned up the mess from the first game, when it coughed the ball up 22 times, including six from Wembanyama. On Sunday, Les Bleus cut that number to nine and went 26 for 36 at the free-throw line.
Sylvain Francisco led France with 20 points, and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot added 19.
The two games also marked an important stretch for Wembanyama personally. He hadn’t played competitively since the San Antonio Spurs were eliminated in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and he admitted after the opener that he was still getting used to the FIBA ball and France’s developing chemistry. By Sunday, he sounded more settled.
“It’s strange to suit up in France again, but honestly, there’s nothing easier than coming back and playing big games like this,” Wembanyama told reporters postgame.
This was also his first game on French soil since being named captain last week, taking over from Rudy Gobert and becoming Les Bleus’ youngest captain since Tony Parker in 2003. France coach Frédéric Fauthoux said the timing made sense.
"It was a decision made by the coach and the staff," France coach Frédéric Fauthoux said. "I think the future belongs to Victor ... (so) there was no point in waiting. The time was right."
Before tip-off, Wembanyama made it clear what he wanted from his team.
“My message in the locker room before tip-off was that we must protect home court and not take any opponent lightly,” Wembanyama said. “It is an exhibition match, but we need to develop championship habits. We learned a few key lessons today.”
Jokić had already praised Wembanyama after the first game, calling him “a special opponent” and saying, "He is unique as a player and as a person. I don’t see him as a rival, and I don’t take this personally.
He has the opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we’ve ever seen. To be the best ever."
France’s two-game set ended 1-1, with only two points separating the teams across both friendlies. The next step comes Thursday, when Les Bleus host Slovenia - without Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić, who is attending to family matters ahead of next NBA season - to open the second qualification window for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Tip-off from Paris’ Accor Arena is set for 1:30 p.m. Central on DAZN's Courtside 1891.
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