france has game

September 25, 2000: The French basketball team was in its last game in the preliminary round of Group “A” of the 2000 Sydney Olympics Basketball Tournament. France sported a 2-2 record, beating China and New Zealand, but losing to Lithuania and Italy. And luckily, albeit in a bad way, they faced the mighty USA team, led by NBA superstars like Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton and Ray Allen, who led a perfect 4-0. record after clearing your opponents. It was truly a foregone conclusion that France would be their fifth victim in their quest for another basketball gold medal.

But it would only get worse. With just 16 minutes left in the second half of what would be a 106-94 drubbing of France, Team USA’s Vince Carter, who just won the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest seven months ago , stole a pass from almost halfway down the court. Going for a sure-fire dunk that rang the rim, he faced Frédéric Weis, a lanky 7’2″ Frenchman desperately trying to commit an offensive foul just yards from the basket. Carter dribbled once and jumped. He jumped amazingly. over Weis. , scraping the Frenchman’s head for balance, and viciously slammed the ball for two points. The entire Sydney SuperDome shuddered in awe. And while they eventually got the silver medal in the tournament, France was shamelessly posterized so that everyone saw it.

But despite this unpleasant moment for the French flag, things began to look up for basketball in France. It started with the 2001 NBA selection of point guard sensation Tony Parker by the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to win a championship series in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Parker was also declared Finals MVP in 2007, erasing the flavor. bitterness of that Weis debacle and paving the way for the NBA to fully recognize the wealth of talent coming from France.

Boris Diaw of the Charlotte Bobcats, whose versatility was showcased playing for the Phoenix Suns from 2005 to 2008; Ronny Turiaf of the Golden State Warriors, who participated in the 2008 NBA Finals playing for the Los Angeles Lakers; Mickaël Piétrus of the Orlando Magic, who helped the Magic to the 2009 Finals; and Joachim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, who was instrumental in the Bulls’ tough hold against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2009 Playoffs, are among the notable players who raised the French flag in terms of playing in the NBA. However, let’s not forget that Tariq Abdul-Wahad, whose birth name is Olivier Michael Saint-Jean, was the first French-born player to play in the NBA, dressing for the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks since 1997. -2005.

So by guessing these players, it can be said with certainty that not only with their sheer talent but also with the passion they bring to the game, they are worthy enough to play basketball at the highest level possible. And even with that “le dunk de la mort” almost a decade ago, France clearly got some serious game going.