NBA – Favorite of this Rising Stars Challenge, Team Gasol of Wembanyama and Coulibaly was surprised in the semi-final by the G League players of Team Detlef.
Sitting alone at a high table in a corner of the mixed zone room, the face of Bilal Coulibaly says a lot. A few minutes earlier, Team Detlef had just beaten Team Gasol to everyone’s surprise, creating the first notable moment of this 2024 All-Star Weekend.
Of course, it’s only an exhibition match but a starting five made up of Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr, Brandin Podziemski, and Jabari Smith Jr. bit the dust against G League players. How is it possible ? We asked Bilal Coulibaly the question.
“Good question, good question,” he replies with a yellow laugh. “We started the match being much too relaxed. Opposite, they were G League players who wanted to show themselves and then there they were… they played hard. They were right. »
More motivated G-League players
After Team Detlef’s defeat in the final, Mac McClung confirmed his team’s state of mind in the semi-final. “It’s an incredible opportunity that the NBA is giving us, as G League players. For us, it’s an honor to be there,” he described. “For the others, I understand that their priorities may be different because they don’t want to get injured and endanger the end of the season or their career. And it’s an exhibition match, I’m aware of that. But it’s hard for me to enter a field without giving my all, and without giving everything to come away with victory. »
That’s exactly what he did in the first minutes of the semi-final. He defended hard and pushed the pace at the other end to put his team at +12, Team Gasol will never recover.
“Yes, it surprised us a little. They were aggressive on rebounds, and we weren’t,” Coulibaly explained to us. “And when you fall so far behind, even if we came back at the end, we were too far behind. It’s a shame. »
Revenge in San Francisco?
Obviously, this disappointment was temporary. Even if Pau Gasol replaced Victor Wembanyama with Bilal Coulibaly, reducing the joint playing time of the two Frenchmen. Bilal Coulibaly was upset when describing his best memory of the evening.
“It was still cool. Just the presentation of the teams when everyone is applauding you, it feels good, it really feels good. »
Victor Wembanyama relayed the same story at a press conference. “I hate losing but this defeat does not take away from my experience of this first All-Star Game. » However, he admitted that he had been in far too much demand over the past two days between the launch of NB-AI and the multiple media and marketing interventions to which he had to submit.
“I try to stay professional until the end and do my job but really I can’t wait for it to be over,” he said before disappearing into the corridors of the Gainesbridge Fieldhouse.
The bitterness of Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly was palpable and it bodes well for the rest of their careers. If they react like this in a Rising Stars Challenge without any real stakes, it gives an idea of their involvement for the future, in the NBA but also with the Blues.
The proof with Bilal Coulibaly who is already planning on the Rising Stars 2025 from San Francisco with a hint of second degree when asked if he is already thinking about taking his revenge. “Of course…” he smiled. “And I hope we’ll be more serious.” »
Comments collected in Indianapolis.