Last match against Canada, it was quite the surprise not to see Rudy Gobert in France’s starting lineup. Apparently, the Minnesota star is currently dealing with an undisclosed injury on his left ring finger, and was only able to compete during three minutes of his nation’s quarterfinal victory in the Paris Olympics.
French coach Vincent Collet decided to mix things up this Tuesday when he placed Victor Wembanyama as his squad’s starting center, in an exciting matchup between two title-contenders than resulted in a 82-73 win for the European side.
Once the contest was over, reporters surrounding the Wolves big man with questions. Gobert told the press that there were “several reasons why I didn’t play,” but the most impactful was the fact that his left ring finger was still hurting.
Draymond Green speaks on France benching Rudy Gobert
“To be taken out of the lineup on any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player, not named Team USA is kind of crazy” 😬
(🎥 @TheVolumeSports )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 7, 2024
Despite not starting for his country, he assured he trusts his coach’s decisions. “I have confidence in my teammates, the coaches,” he told reporters in English. “The plan worked given how we started the match. There were several reasons why I didn’t play, between the matchups but also what can happen in training, with the injuries.
“It was a good decision in any case. It’s a great adjustment from the coach. I’m grateful to be here today. I was on the operating table last night. To be able to play in an Olympic quarterfinal, it was incredible. [On his finger] It’s nothing serious, that’s all I can say. ”
The former Defensive Player of the Year was seen wearing a splint on the finger after the game, and later his own head coach revealed that even though Rudy went through an MRI before the game, he was cleared to play. When Gobert was asked if he would be available to compete against Germany in the semifinals, he said “yes.”
After the Germans defeated Greece, both European nations are ready to clash on Thursday. “We had a lot of time to think, to fix things, and the whole team was just so dedicated to fixing everything,” Victor Wembanyama said. “Now we’ve got a good base to build on for the final phase of the tournament.”
The Canadian team credited their rival’s impressive start as one of the reasons why they weren’t able to beat France in the quarterfinals
According to NBA player Evan Fournier, who ended Tuesday’s matchup with 15 points to his name, he feels a very strong commitment between his teammates to bring home the gold medal. Even though the player came off the bench, he assured that he has a healthy relationship with coach Colllet.
“When you have guys that have the same goal, that are being competitive and trying to win, it’s pressure,” Fournier expressed once the contest was over. “It’s part of the game. … You just to have to handle stuff like that. And that’s what we did there.”
As for the Canadians, who were expected to at least earn a medal during the Olympic Games, had a slow start to the match against France. Unfortunately, the North American squad will return home after 40 years without reaching the Olympic final four.
“The start obviously put us in a hole,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led his nation with 27 points this Tuesday. “I think we won the rest of the game after the start. But when you start like that, it’s hard play against any team.”
