Anonymous
Years ago

Performance of the French National Team

France have enough quality NBA players to fill out an entirely roster with them, yet before this year they hadn't experienced much success for at least 10 or so years unless I'm forgetting something. They haven't been in the world champs or Olympics for quite a while despite their unbalance of NBA players. Them making the euro final final against Spain is what brought this all to my attention. I was wondering if people could fill me in on why France hasn't qualified for WC/Olympics for quite a while despite the NBA players available.

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Cell  
Years ago

At last years world champs New Zealand beat France...

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billo  
Years ago

You'd think France would do better internationally with their squad. Pretty sure they took silver at the 2000 games when their squad was no were near as highly decorated as what they've got now.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

They were 3-3 at last year's WCs, and they came 5th at the 06 WCs. They took bronze at the 05 Eurobasket, losing the semi to Greece in the same way Australia lost to Greece in 06, and in 09 lost one game at the Eurobasket, to Spain in the QFs.

They have always been around the mark, but there are a lot of good teams in international basketball, and the number of NBA players isnt always a great indication of how good a team is at FIBA play. Obviously they are almost all very talented players to make the NBA, but FIBA play is about how the team uses its talent.

Recent silver medallists from memory - 2000, France with one NBA player (Weiss if he counts!); 2002, Argentina with none; 2004, Italy with none; 2006, Greece with none.

In 2008 Lithuania came fourth with none, and in 2010 Lithuania and Serbia came 3rd and 4th with one each.

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paul  
Years ago

That was me by the way! Always forget to put my name in when I am on a trip and it doesnt come up automatically.

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Coopz  
Years ago

Maybe its taken them 10 years to erase the memory of Carter's dunk on Frederic Weis in Sydney.

This dunk never gets old...



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Beantown  
Years ago

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure the main reason France is doing well now is because they have Parker, Noah, Batum and Diaw playing every game. In past years I think these guys played rarely, if at all for France.

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MACDUB  
Years ago

Correct Beantown,
They have always had a few of them, but have rarely/never been able to get all of them.

Last year WC's, they had Batum and Diaw(who was pretty unfit and out of shape).

If you threw in Turiaf, Parker and Noah into the 2010 WC team, they could have easily been a top 4 team.

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paul  
Years ago

In 09 they had very close to a full team and came 5th, in 07 they had Parker, Turiaf and Diaw and came 8th, in 05 they had a pretty much full team (Diaw, Parker, M Pietrus, Rigaudeau, Gelabale) and came 3rd.

Funnily enough, probably their best performance was 5th in the 06 WCs without Parker, but with Turiaf, Diaw, Gelabale and M Pietrus. They were a fearsome defensive line-up without Parker and with all their athletes on the floor.

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paul  
Years ago

To be honest, the reason France has so many NBA players is because they have great, African American athletes, not because they necessarily have more talent than the other top European nations.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

why is M Pietrus playing?

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adam  
Years ago

Not wanting to sound too pompous but they are only considered 'African American' if they are American Citizens. The players of African descent playing for France I think are known as Beurs.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Pietrus is french to anon above

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JTW  
Years ago

"Maybe its taken them 10 years to erase the memory of Carter's dunk on Frederic Weis in Sydney.

This dunk never gets old..."

I was there, I saw it, was the best thing i have ever seen.

Reply #331204 | Report this post


billo  
Years ago

JTW - same here. Best 3 seconds of live sport I've experienced.

Reply #331230 | Report this post




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