France’s Men’s Basketball team Embarks on New Era at EuroBasket 2025

A year removed from their thrilling silver-medal run at the Paris Olympics, where they gave Team USA a serious scare, the French men’s basketball team is set to look drastically different as they tip off their EuroBasket 2025 campaign against Belgium in Katowice, Poland.

Onyl three players from that Olympic squad – Bilal Coulibaly, Isaïa Cordinier, and Guerschon yabusele – remain on the roster under the guidance of new head coach Frédéric Faux. Faux, stepping into his first major international tournament, aims to secure France’s second European title since their 2013 victory.

The transition marks a significant shift for the French national team. Longtime coach Vincent Collet, who had been at the helm since 2009, has passed the torch to Faux. Furthermore,veterans Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo,cornerstones of the team for the past two decades,have retired,ushering in a new generation of players. This transition is akin to the San Antonio Spurs after Tim Duncan’s retirement – a need to rebuild and redefine their identity.

On the eve of this first competition, there is a lot of joy, a lot of excitement and hastened to go, Faux stated during a press conference in late july, expressing his enthusiasm as the team’s preparation began.

Though, Faux’s first EuroBasket journey isn’t without its challenges. Several key players have withdrawn, most notably Victor Wembanyama. The 21-year-old phenom opted out after his second NBA season was cut short in February due to a deep venous thrombosis in his right shoulder. This is a blow similar to the Boston Celtics losing Kristaps Porzingis before a crucial playoff series.

Additionally, veteran guard evan fournier and Minnesota Timberwolves center rudy Gobert have also decided to skip the continental tournament.

This team is undergoing reconstruction. There is a lot to build: a group, a team, a hierarchy, Faux acknowledged, emphasizing the rebuilding phase the team is currently in.

I think we want to get the highest step but to have a very specific goal, it’s not simple because many sectors start from scratch with pensions, major absent.We have less margin but that does not mean that we cannot have a very competitive team.

The roster now features a youthful and relatively inexperienced squad, including Zaccharie Risacher (20) and Alexandre Sarr (20), the top two picks from the 2024 NBA Draft, both making their international debuts. This injection of young talent is reminiscent of how the Oklahoma City Thunder have built their team through the draft, focusing on potential and long-term growth.

we certainly know that the French team has managed to climb to the best level in recent years, the goal is to stay there, said Boris Diaw, the general manager of the French team, in July. The double issue is both the construction of a team to be able to go to the best possible results, and the construction of a team in the future.

Despite finishing as runners-up to Spain (88-76) in the previous EuroBasket edition three years ago, France still aims to be a major contender.

There is really something interesting to do and despite the competitiveness of the European championship, I really think that we can win, be one of the strongest teams in the tournament, stated Guerschon Yabusele, the team’s de facto captain.

France concluded their pre-tournament preparations with a flawless 5-0 record, including impressive victories against Spain (75-67) and Greece (92-77), boosting their confidence as they seek their fifth EuroBasket podium finish in the last six tournaments.

I am very happy to be part of this new generation, this new wave of players, Risacher said last month. We draw a lot from the inheritance that the ancients have given us, so we will try to do better and continue to surf this wave.

“Les Bleus” must finish in the top four of Group D – which also includes Belgium,Iceland,Israel,Poland,and Slovenia – to advance to the final phase,which will be held in Riga until September 14.