Is Victor Wembanyama playing today vs. Brazil? Latest on French center's availability for Paris Olympics opener

France's men’s basketball team and Victor Wembanyama will open their 2024 Paris Olympics campaign against Brazil on Saturday. As the host nation, there will be added pressure on France to perform well. Thankfully, Wembanyama should play in all probability.

Even though Saturday's game will be Wembanyama’s first in the Olympics, he is a proven name and is arguably the best young prospect in world basketball. In his first season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks to win the Rookie of the Year award.

The 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama will form a formidable backcourt duo with 7-1 Rudy Gobert. The Minnesota Timberwolves big man led France to a second-place finish in the last Olympics in 2021. With Wemby by his side now, it will be tough for any opposing player to score at the rim.

What makes Wembanyama truly unique is his playmaking abilities at his size. He even averaged 3.9 assists in his rookie year.

France’s hopes rest on Gobert and Wemby, as they try to bounce back after losing the final four exhibition games before the 2024 Olympics. The first game against Brazil is scheduled for Saturday at 11:15 a.m. EDT. After that, France plays Japan and Germany on Tuesday and Friday, respectively.

Victor Wembanyama said he is looking forward to compete for gold

Team USA currently has the best odds to win gold. Canada is placed second on that list but France can definitely cause an upset. In fact, in the last Olympics, the French beat the Americans in the group stage before losing in the final.

That loss, even though he wasn’t a part of the game, must be fresh in Victor Wembanyama’s mind. He spoke about the upcoming games, via Olympics.com:

“We know we have the chance to win gold. We won silver at the last Games, so we were not far away. The goal is to bring something new to the table. Our goals are something that we have never achieved before and we have to find the means to accomplish them. I am super excited and impatient to share the floor with all my colleagues, especially with Rudy.”

Even though France’s recent form doesn’t look promising, once the tournament reaches the knockout stages, all it could take is for Victor Wembanyama to go off and the U.S. being unable to defend him. While that is easier said than done, Wemby has shown throughout the years that he is made for the big moments.