Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and the French men's national team finished third at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China this month—tying France's best finish at the the international tournament.
Per Marc Stein in The New York Times:
Utah’s Rudy Gobert and I had a brief chance to chat about this issue — again — after he and his teammates clinched the bronze medal for France in a victory over Australia in FIBA’s third-place game on Sunday.
“I wish all the best players would come, but it’s never going to happen,” Gobert said of the modern N.B.A. player’s approach in the Load Management Era. “They think about themselves more than anything — and it’s understandable. It’s a business. We all have families to take care of.”
The summer saw many big-name NBA players, across multiple nations, not only most notably the United States, drop out of contention for their countries' squads participating in the World Cup. Philadelphia 76ers point-forward Ben Simmons, a 23-year-old, did not compete for Australia although he appeared in his home country to show face ahead of the competition.
The U.S. had a slew of top players and All-Stars reject offers, instead all either recuperating from injuries or stating they are preparing for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season, which begins in October.
Gobert and France defeated Australia in the bronze medal round after falling to Argentina in the semi-finals of the World Cup. A resounding win for Gobert alongside NBA players like Charlotte Hornets' Nicolas Batum, Orlando Magic's Evan Fournier, and surprisingly New York Knicks lottery pick guard Frank Ntilikina.
France, along with the U.S. and other top nations, qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan, which will decide the biggest international competition for basketball next year.
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