Victor Wembanyama was named captain of the French national team Wednesday ahead of the FIBA World Cup European qualifiers. The announcement comes roughly two weeks after the San Antonio Spurs star hosted several teammates in France for offseason workouts.

The 22-year-old will lead Team France into friendly games against Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, on Thursday and Sunday. France then opens its European qualifying campaign at home against Slovenia on Aug. 27 before traveling to face Sweden on Aug. 30.

"Being captain is first and foremost about setting an example, being a leader, through performance on the court, knowing the systems, the opponents and bringing calm," Wembanyama said. "This window is a good opportunity to experience this new chapter with the coaching staff as a captain. It's probably earlier than I expected, and likely earlier than everyone else expected. But it's not rushed either. I'm honored and excited. I wasn't expecting it until Frederic Fauthoux told me, but it's a great honor."

Rudy Gobert previously served as captain during earlier qualifying windows this summer for a roster that also includes Evan Fournier and Maxime Raynaud.

Wembanyama last represented France at the 2024 Paris Olympics, helping Les Bleus capture a silver medal after a finals loss to Team USA. He averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 179 minutes in that tournament.

France enters this stretch as a serious medal contender heading into the 2027 World Cup in Qatar and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Wembanyama enters the role coming off a breakout NBA season, becoming the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year while finishing third in MVP voting and leading San Antonio to the NBA Finals.

"It carries more weight because it is worn for much shorter periods," Wembanyama told French newspaper L'Equipe. "The intensity of an Olympics campaign, for example, is condensed into just a few weeks. So, these are things that are experienced in the present moment. There are very few games in an international career, and every single one really counts."