It wasn’t for lack of warning his teammates, but Rudy Gobert is disappointed. France is already eliminated from the World Cup, unable to beat a Latvia deprived of its best player (Kristaps Porzingis), and it is unworthy of its rank and its ambitions. For the pivot of the Blues, we must not look for false excuses, to point the finger at the referees who, according to him, are not worthy of the competition. The French team was simply not up to it.
“I don’t know how many rebounds we give, how many balls we lose… It’s our rigor…” regret Gobert. “It’s not up to our team to be eliminated in the first round. (…) Our team is beautiful… Being beautiful is good, but you have to go out into the field and get your hands a little dirty. Unconsciously, perhaps the fact that we were expected a little too much made us forget why we were there”.
“The Gods of Basketball reward the team that plays the hardest and with the right values”
During all the preparation, we heard the Blues talking about a title and a gold medal. Even Vincent Collet, usually measured, had displayed his ambitions. But for Gobert, the French team has forgotten its usual qualities.
“We forgot what made our strength in recent years. It’s about playing together and playing hard, and having an impact on the teams.” continues Gobert at the microphone of bein Sports. “I take full responsibility. 100%. Or rather 99%… In each match, we were the least tough team. No matter the talent, the names, all that… In the end, we will not be rewarded. The Basketball Gods reward the team that plays the hardest and with the right values. We did it but it wasn’t our identity. »
