Basketball: Before Olympus, the Blues aim for the World

“To do something that has never been done before, something very big”. This is the ambition displayed by Nicolas Batum and his little comrades from the French basketball team at the World Cup (August 25-September 10), in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, one year before the Olympics. from Paris. Admittedly, the Blues must do without the prodigy Victor Wembanyama and a few others for various reasons (Heurtel, Ntilikina, Embiid…), but they arrive sure of their strength. They also won their first six warm-up matches before giving in to Australia (74-78), who started with a duel against the formidable Canada in Jakarta on Friday in Jakarta (3:30 p.m., on beIN SPORTS ).

Formidable, the France team is at least as much. Admittedly, there is this weak point in the rebound, clearly identified since the start of the summer. We can also have some doubts about the ability of this team to limit ball losses, despite the return of Nando de Colo and captain Batum, absent at Euro 2022. With them, coach Collet can rely on the five major who won Olympic silver in 2021, alongside Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert and Gerschon Yabusele. Before that, the selection had pocketed bronze at the 2019 World Cup, as in 2014. "This group was born with the 2019 World Cup, the starting point," recalls Collet. "2019 is a new page that has turned, a new adventure, with in particular Evan, Nando, Rudy and Nico who have reached maturity and have taken the lead", sums up the general manager of the France team. Boris Diaw, ex-captain of the Blues version Parker.

Still, after bronze in 2019 and silver in 2021, the French collected silver at Euro 2022. Money not happy, due to a random quality of play and a painful backhand face their best Spanish enemies in the final, after miraculous qualifications in the 8th and quarters. And this while La Roja arrived a priori reduced to the Euro after the stop of the Gasol brothers. Missed…

"Yes, I want to win this World Cup," says Collet, aware that the France team now arouses (very) high expectations, even that some consider that a medal for the Blues is normal. . "It's the ransom in previous years so we're not going to complain about it, but it shouldn't become a norm for everyone because it's not that simple," he insists. Same story for Batum, which he launched in 2009: "It's not because we have won seven medals over 11 years (including the European title in 2013, editor's note) that as soon as we enter a competition, guaranteed, no. We have very high goals. It is up to us to achieve them”.

For this, it is an authentic obstacle course that awaits the Blues. They were clearly not varnished in the draw with a strong opposition from the start against Canada in Group H, before challenging Latvia and their crazy shooters (August 27) and Lebanon (August 29). In the event of qualification, they will cross with the two best teams of group G (Spain, Brazil…), always in Jakarta, to seek a ticket in quarters, in Manila. "And that doesn't guarantee us an easy quarter-final! On the contrary: it will be Slovenia, Australia or Germany, at the very least. To go very far, it will be necessary to chain performances. Sometimes, when you have a difficult chicken at the beginning, it calms down afterwards. This will not be the case, plague coach Collet.

The France team can believe it. Especially since several big names are missing, such as the Spanish leaders Lorenzo Brown and Ricky Rubio, the NBA champions Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Jamal Murray (Canada) or the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo. “It will be noted”, nevertheless promises Batum, citing Germany, Australia, Spain, Slovenia and Lithuania as the teams to follow, the main contenders for places of honor. And of course Team USA, perennial favourite. Admittedly, the Americans arrive with a B or C team for this World Cup. But "they have everything to win", as summarized by the L.A. Clippers winger, protagonist of the feat against the "Ricans" in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Cup in China.

Protagonist, "Batman" will still be in Paris 2024, before hanging up. “Wemby” will be there too, along with possibly NBA MVP (Most Player) Joel Embiid. Deadline already on your mind? “The World Cup is the toughest competition and it stands on its own. We have players who are determined to get the best possible result. There will be plenty of time to think about the Games. The best way to prepare for the next campaign is to succeed in this one”, swears Vincent Collet, who has however often said that the two campaigns were linked, even that 2023 was a “springboard” for 2024. The tricolor gold diggers leave in conquest.