The NBA season resumes overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday across the Atlantic. This year, about fifteen French basketball players will tread the American courts.
Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier, with the France team, during the last Euro basketball in September.
Credit: Facebook | Rudy Gobert
It was 3 months ago, June 17, 2022 : the Golden Gate Warriors were crowned, for the 7th times in their history, champions of the NBA, the American basketball league.
Next night kicks off the 2022/2023 season with, on the program, the duel between the Boston Celtics, last season’s finalists, and the Philadelphia Sixers, followed by the poster between the defending champions, and the Los Angeles Lakers of LeBron James, titled in 2020.
On the French side, several players are to be followed this season.
Evan Fournier : the captain of the France team during the last Euro (lost by France in the final against Spain) will play his second season in New York with the Knicks. The former PB86 player, present in the NBA since 2012, author last season of 239 3-point baskets scored in 79 games.
Rudy Gobert : formed in Cholet, he begins his eleventh season across the Atlantic. After 8 consecutive years at the Utah Jazz, the pivot of the France team changes his jersey. He will wear the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey this season.
Nicolas Batum : the Normand, crowned champion of France in 2006 with Le Mans, is again this year in the workforce of the Los Angeles Clippers, club with which he is committed until 2024. The Clippers also count in their ranks this season another Frenchie, Moussa Diabate, 20 years old, drafted last June by the Los Angeles club.
Killian Hayes : the former choletais will play his third season with the Detroit Pistons. The 21-year-old playmaker might even get more playing time than in previous seasons.
Also to follow on the French side, Franck Ntilikina at the Dallas Mavericks, Ousmane Dieng at the Oklahoma City Thunder but also Kilian Tillie (the little brother of neo-Choletais Kim Tillie), awaiting a new NBA contract after the breach of his contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
As for Victor Wembanyama, the rising Frenchman (2.21m!), he still has to wait a bit before joining the American championship. At just 18 years old, the young player from the Metropolitans 92 could well become the first Frenchman in history to be selected in first position in the next NBA draft, set for June 22, 2023.
