France beat Turkey in their Olympic warm-up match as Victor Wembanyama scored 24 points

Victor Wembanyama grabbed the show with amazing one-handed dunks as France began preparations for its men's basketball gold medal campaign at the Paris Olympics. France has already been named host nation, and its team is strong with a front line led by Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, as well as NBA and high-level European talent all around. France defeated Turkey in an exhibition game on Wednesday, 96-46, and Wembanyama put up an impressive performance.

He looked sharp as he scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in front of a sellout crowd of roughly 5,500 in Rouen. It was France's first of six warmup matches before the Games from July 26 to August 11.

The 20-year-old San Antonio Spurs standout also worked nicely with veteran Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in their debut appearance for France. Gobert, 32, was awarded the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time, with Wembanyama coming in second. Bilal Coulibaly, a rookie guard for the Washington Wizards, also displayed great defence.

Victor Wembanyama's rapid rise have boosted to French basketball team

France lost 87-82 to the United States in the gold medal game in the Tokyo Olympics, but coach Vincent Collet's team is confident that it can win gold at home. France is regarded as one of the strongest teams, with the United States, Canada, Serbia, and world champion Germany.

Last week, Wembanyama was questioned about the possibility of another France-USA final with LeBron James and Stephen Curry. France's first Group B opponent at the Olympics will be the winner of the last qualifying event later this week. It then faces Japan and Germany in the 12-team tournament, which takes place in the northern city of Lille.

Victor Wembanyama's rapid rise and the introduction of fresh stars have boosted French basketball's appeal significantly. This year's top two NBA draft choices are French, Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks) and Alexandre Sarr (Washington Wizards), with Tidjane Salaün selected sixth by the Charlotte Hornets.