Representing one's country on a big stage is always a difficult opportunity for an athlete to pass up, but French phenom Victor Wembanyama is completely dialed into the start of his highly-anticipated NBA career.

The new San Antonio Spurs' cornerstone and No. 1 overall pick of the NBA Draft is reversing his decision to represent France in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in order to devote all of his energy into preparing for his rookie season, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Spurs will surely appreciate the big sacrifice, but his country's road to the gold medal instantly becomes more arduous.

Nevertheless, no one can blame Wembanyama for his rationale.

“It would not be realistic in terms of development and not prudent in terms of health,” Wembanyama said, via ESPN. “I hope people will understand. It's frustrating for me, too. The France team is still central for me. I want to win as many titles as possible with the team. But I think it's a necessary sacrifice.”

Anyone who has listened to the 19-year-old super prospect leading up to and after the draft cannot be surprised by this move. He, like most of the basketball world, has extremely high expectations for himself. Meeting those standards requires a relentless work ethic and focus. The former can still be accomplished with France, but the latter might be skewed a bit if he were to spend time away from his new team ahead of his rookie season.

The FIBA World Cup tips-off in August and will be contested across five Asian host cities. It figures to be another exciting edition even without the colossal star power and hype Victor Wembanyama would bring. Fans will have to wait to see him match up against some of the NBA's top stars, but they can still see him begin this journey in Summer League play starting July 7th.