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How Many French Basketball Players Are in NBA Currently? Exploring Before Gold Medal Clash Against USA
The France Basketball team has caught many off guard in the ongoing Olympics, and we’ll take a closer look at some of their standout players who are making waves in the NBA.
The France Basketball Team has surprised everyone in the Olympics by reaching the final and securing a matchup against the tournament favorite, Team USA. In one of the more shocking upsets of the 2024 men's Olympic basketball competition, France defeated Canada in the quarterfinals.
France and the USA meet on Saturday, August 10, at 3:30 p.m. ET, according to the official FIBA website. The odds remain stacked against Les Bleus in that game and throughout the tournament, but they have proved they can surprise people.
Let’s look at some of their Olympic squad members who play in the NBA.
Victor Wembanyama
The number one draft pick in the 2023/24 draft, Victor Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 71 games in 2023-24. He won the Rookie of the Year award. The San Antonio star averages 14.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the Olympics.
Rudy Gobert
Gobert has played 11 NBA seasons and is a three-time All-Star. He averaged 14 points and 12.9 rebounds for Minnesota last season. He is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner and even though he is having a miserable Olympics, the French team count on him to provide defensive stability.
ALSO READ: France Coach Disputes Rudy Gobert’s Claim of Finger Surgery Before Game vs. Canada
Nic Batum
The 16-year NBA veteran is the team captain and plays for the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA. This is considered his last Olympics as he is now 35 years old and will be looking to call time on his international career with a gold medal.
Bilal Coulibaly
The youngster was a first-round pick by the Washington Wizards in 2023, averaging 8.4 points per game last season. Coulibaly is rated highly by his franchise for his defensive game and is expected to play more minutes in his sophomore season.
In Pool B, France won its opening two matches. Wembanyama led the team to victories 78-66 over Brazil and 94-90 over Japan, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds respectively. In that victory, Gobert grabbed 15 rebounds.
In the Aug. 2 loss versus Germany, Wembanyama finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. In the quarterfinals, France defeated Canada 82–73 to force a rematch with Germany. In the rematch, the hosts took their revenge and won the game by 4 points.
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