RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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France's #32 Victor Wembanyama scores a basket during the friendly basketball match between Serbia and France, at the Belgrade Arena, in Belgrade, on August 20, 2026. (ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
Victor Wembanyama made a sensational return to the FIBA world stage Thursday, scoring 22 points in 21 minutes as Team France trounced Slovenia 92-67 in World Cup qualifying action.
For the 22-year-old Spurs superstar, recently minted as the French captain, it marked his first international game that counted since the Les Bleus took a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Wembanyama was a mixed bag in a pair of friendly contests against Nikola Jokic and the Serbian team last week. On Thursday, playing before a partisan home crowd at Bercy Arena in Paris, Wembanyama looked more like his All-World self.
In addition to several highlight reel plays, Wembanyama added nine rebounds as the French squad cruised to victory over a Slovenia team missing its top player in Luka Doncic. The Los Angeles Lakers' All-Star has opted to sit out this round of qualifying games due to family reasons.
With the win, the French continued their march toward next year's World Cup in Qatar. Les Bleus are 6-1 and in first place of Group L, with their next game coming Sunday against Sweden in Stockholm.
There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢. This article originally published at Wembanyama shines in return to FIBA stage .
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