Staring down his international "last dance," Evan Fournier finds fresh inspiration in Victor Wembanyama’s relentless work ethic as the young captain transforms France’s basketball future.
Evan Fournier has spent more than a decade representing France while watching an entire generation of French basketball grow up behind him.
He probably didn't expect one of those players to become part of the reason he's still showing up.
At 33 years old and approaching the end of his international career, Fournier has found some extra motivation in 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama — the San Antonio Spurs superstar who has gone from France's next great player to its captain.
"The fact that he's here, I won't lie, has been a motivation for me to keep going," Fournier told L'Équipe. "Seeing a kid who wants to achieve things and puts in the work is inspiring."
That's quite an endorsement from someone who has been wearing a France jersey since Wembanyama was a kid.
Fournier returned to the national team this month for the first time since France won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. L'Équipe described the current Olympic cycle as his international "last dance," with the longtime scorer transitioning into more of a stabilizing and mentoring role as France builds around its younger generation.
Wembanyama isn't simply part of that generation anymore ... he's leading it.
France named Wembanyama captain ahead of its August window, putting the 22-year-old in charge of a roster that also included veterans Fournier and Rudy Gobert. Head coach Frédéric Fauthoux didn't see much reason to wait.
"I think the future should be written with Victor," Fauthoux said. "There was no point in waiting. It was the right time."
Wembanyama has looked comfortable with the responsibility.
He scored 22 points with nine rebounds in 21 minutes as France beat Slovenia 92-67 on Thursday, then followed with 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in Sunday's 84-69 win over Sweden.
Those performances matter for France's pursuit of a spot in the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
What Fournier said might matter just as much for San Antonio.
The Spurs don't need Wembanyama to become France's captain to know where their franchise is headed. He already led San Antonio to the NBA Finals last season and enters Year 4 as the unquestioned centerpiece of a team trying to get back there.
Leadership, however, isn't measured only by who gets the ball or whose name sits atop the scouting report.
Fournier has been playing international basketball for more than a decade. He's approaching 34, plans to make this his final Olympic cycle and doesn't need another basketball accomplishment to validate his career.
Yet watching Wembanyama work has helped make him want to keep doing it.
For all the attention paid to what Wembanyama might eventually become, that's another reminder of what he's already becoming.
The young player who once followed France's veterans is now giving one of them a reason to stick around.
