Victor Wembanyama is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately for NBA fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the French center at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, he has been ruled out of the competition with an injury.
Even without Wembanyama, there are a number of familiar faces on France's roster. They're led by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and feature Evan Fournier, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina and Theo Maledon.
France is in Group B with Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They open group play against Germany on Sept. 1.
MORE: Why Victor Wembanyama is the likely No. 1 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
Watch every EuroBasket 2022 game live and on demand with ESPN+. Sign up now to catch all of the action with some of the NBA's biggest stars including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and more. Stream all games from both the group stage and knockout round from September 1 through the championship on September 18.
Why isn't Victor Wembanyama playing for France at EuroBasket 2022?
The French Basketball Federation announced on July 29 that Wembanyama wouldn't participate in EuroBasket because he still hadn't recovered from a muscle injury that ended his 2021-22 season.
The decision was made after Wembanyama's last medical examinations were sent to the team's medical staff. His doctor and the national team's doctor were said to be in agreement that he could not be able to play.
The French Basketball Federation did not disclose the location of Wembanyama's muscle injury.
ℹ️ Communiqué officiel : Victor Wembanyama #TeamFranceBasket | #PassionnémentBleu
— Équipes de France de Basket (@FRABasketball) July 29, 2022
Wembanyama spent the 2021-22 season with ASVEL and was named the LNB Pro A Best Young Player for the second year in a row. He opted out of his contract at the season's end to sign with Metropolitans 92.
Wembanyama will be eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft.
"Let there be no doubt – this draft has, is and always will belong to Victor Wembanyama," TSN contributor Eric Fawcett wrote. "After being christened a generational talent years ago, the 7-foot-3 basketball savant has continued to meet every sky-high expectation and there is nothing to suggest he shouldn’t be the consensus No. 1 pick in this draft. He is a potential franchise and league-altering athlete."
