It’s been only a month since the conclusion of the 2023/24 NBA season and boredom has already kicked in among the hoop junkies. But to rescue them the 2024 Paris Olympics is right at the door as the exhibition matches and the qualifiers are coming thick and fast. Even the NBA is doing its bit by streaming exhibition games leading up to the tournament on their app to quench their thirst. Victor Wembanyama was also among the NBA stars who donned their national team threads as the Spurs rookie is gearing up for the event.

The exhibition matches are giving the perfect platform to build cohesion and game fitness ahead of the Olympics. But the focus is always on making it to the event without any injury. That plan was almost foiled on Saturday when France faced off against Germany. Those who already watched the game live know about it. So if you’re one of the less-informed ones, here’s a spoiler- a brawl broke out during the game and yes, the NBA stars were in the thick of action.

During the second quarter of the game, Dennis Schroder of the Nets drove toward the rim but was blocked off by Evan Fournier. Schroder got up and confronted Fournier by putting his hands on the Pistons guard’s collar. The retaliation came swiftly and violently as Fournier grabbed the throat of Schroder and a struggle ensued between the duo. Their teammates also got involved in separating them as the attendance of 18,500 were at the edge of their seats. The melee cooled down after that as Fournier and Schroder talked it out between them. But for the trouble, Schroder was slapped with a tech foul and Fournier was ejected. With the score at 41:23 in favor of France, the defending FIBA champs were unable to raise their heads for the rest of the game.

Schroder scored a team-high 23 in the 66-90 defeat. In the 28 minutes he played, Schroder sank 7/16 of his attempts from the field along with dishing out 6 assists. But, the star of the show was Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs rookie dominated the game, sending a clear message to the Dream Team 2.0.

Victor Wembanyama sends warning to LeBron James and Co.

Victor Wembanyama already showed the NBA his sky-high potential with a historical debut season with the Spurs. After bagging the Rookie Of The Year award, Wemby is now focused on adding an Olympic gold to his growing resume. But before the action tips off on July 27, France will have five exhibitions to play and the game against Germany was the second one of those. After decimating Turkey with his 24-point performance in the 96-46 win, Wemby continued his terror by dropping 25 points on Germany in enemy territory.

What’s more impressive is that Wemby scored his tally in just 19 minutes. His early game barrage set the tone of the game as he converted 10 of his 16 attempts from the field. Wemby also dipped one after another shot from beyond the 3-pts arc and finished with a 5/9 success rate. Wemby’s performance ahead of the Paris Olympics is a clear sign of warning to the USAB, the favorites to win their 5th Olympic gold in a row.

During a recent press conference in Paris, Wembanyama opened up about his excitement to lock horns with LeBron James and Co. “I can’t wait to face them — it will be a very interesting matchup. As a basketball player, it’s also a dream to play against Team USA and even against all those players, all those legends,” Wemby told. France will start the tournament as another favorite due to home advantage and surely, Joel Embiid‘s participation would’ve further bolstered their ranks. But still, there is hope for Les Blues as their Olympic luck will be shouldered by the 7’4″ C against the might of Dream Team 2.0 adorned by the best of the NBA.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this video