Cameras Catch Guerschon Yabusele Losing Temper After Victor Wembanyama Witnesses France Loss From Afar

Victor Wembanyama wasn’t in the building, but the shadow of his absence dominated large over France’s devastating EuroBasket collapse. Watching from afar as Les Bleus fell 80-70 to Georgia, the 21-year-old Spurs star must have felt the sting just as deeply as the fans back home. France, once seen as a perennial contender, now finds itself out of the quarterfinals for only the second time in the past 25 years. And yes, the frustration spilled over on live cameras, no less.

After the loss, captain Guerschon Yabusele was caught confronting a Georgian journalist who was celebrating loudly. Yabusele’s words were sharp and aggressive as he said, “Hey, hey, we’re talking here, calm down. You’re the journalist, not a player.” It was the image of a veteran who had just carried the emotional load of a team stripped of its biggest weapons, aka Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert.

The timing of this defeat couldn’t be worse. Just a year removed from their silver-medal run at the Paris Olympics, France was expected to rebound and position itself for another podium finish. Instead, their EuroBasket campaign has ended prematurely, with Georgia making history by advancing to the quarterfinals for the first time. But Wembanyama’s absence is the unavoidable headline.

Officially, he’s healthy and cleared earlier this summer after missing the final two months of his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs because of a blood clot in his right shoulder. But both he and Gobert opted out, prioritizing rest over competition. For France, that meant stepping onto the floor without their two most dominant defensive anchors. The Spurs weren’t about to take chances either.

Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks in 46 games before being sidelined. And for a player who already projects as the league’s unique two-way force, a 7’3” rim protector who can handle like a guard, risking a setback weeks before NBA training camp wasn’t worth it. San Antonio made sure their superstar rested, focused, and returned gradually alongside new teammates like De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper.

In the meantime, France was left with Guerschon Yabusele and 19-year-old Alexandre Sarr to anchor the paint. Sarr’s 7’4” wingspan is fascinating, yes, but it’s not yet Gobert’s four-time Defensive Player of the Year presence. Add in the growing pains of young wings Zaccharie Risacher and Bilal Coulibaly, and suddenly France looked less like a powerhouse and more like a team still searching for its new identity. But well, it’s easy to ask what France could have been with Wembanyama. But the bigger question is what his choice says about the future.

Victor Wembanyama’s decision to skip EuroBasket 2025 has implications beyond France

By sitting out, the 21-year-old signaled that long-term health and NBA obligations now take precedence over national duty. This isn’t just about skipping one tournament, right? It’s about how modern stars manage their windows. And Wembanyama has plenty to protect.

His rookie year in San Antonio showed flashes of generational dominance, not just in the numbers, but also in how he bent defenses, forced mismatches, and turned paint protection into an art. And with a blood clot scare already behind him, there’s no incentive to stack unnecessary mileage in September when his actual battles lie ahead in an 82-game NBA grind.

That, however, doesn’t make the French fans’ disappointment any lighter. Les Bleus had planned to roll out a roster mixing established vets with ascending young talent. Instead, they have a glaring void left in the middle. Coach Frederic Fauthoux tried leaning into speed and athleticism, riding Isaia Cordinier’s defense and Nadir Hifi’s scoring bursts. But against a physical Georgian squad, the missing size was impossible to hide. Meanwhile, Wembanyama’s summer wasn’t exactly idle.

He trained at the Shaolin Temple in China, blending unconventional strength work with mental discipline. He also launched Hoop Gambit, a basketball-and-chess event in his hometown, which, by the way, is a very Wemby way of fusing creativity with competition. So it is safe to assume that he’s not skipping steps, but simply choosing which steps matter most right now.

For France, the fallout is immediate. Without Gobert and Wembanyama, the team’s interior defense is thin. And its margin for error against elite bigs like Nikola Jokic or Kristaps Porzingis shrinks dramatically. For Wembanyama, though, the long-term bet is clear: prioritize recovery now, unleash dominance later.

The cameras may have caught Yabusele’s temper, but the bigger story is who wasn’t there to steady France when things untangled. Wembanyama’s absence is the headline… for EuroBasket, for the Spurs, and for the next phase of international basketball.