Head coach Vincent Collet has announced a preliminary roster of 19 players for the French national team ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, featuring NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama and other key stars.
With the highly anticipated Paris 2024 Olympics on the horizon, the French national basketball team has unveiled its preliminary roster, brimming with talent and experience. Head coach Vincent Collet announced a list of 19 players on Thursday, including reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, a towering 7-foot-3 center who has generated immense excitement in the basketball world.
Wembanyama's inclusion on the roster is a significant boost for France's medal aspirations. The Paris native recently claimed the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, showcased his remarkable skills, and has quickly emerged as one of the league's most promising young players.
Alongside Wembanyama, the French squad boasts a formidable cast of NBA veterans, including Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, and Evan Fournier. Gobert, who won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award for the fourth time in his career, and Wembanyama form a formidable duo in the paint, providing France with a dominant defensive presence.
"The key to building the team will be establishing an uncompromising defense," Collet emphasized at a news conference. "We have profiles that excel in this area."
The preliminary roster also includes several newcomers to the French national team, such as Bilal Coulibaly, Ousmane Dieng, and Killian Hayes, who have all gained valuable experience in the NBA this season. Notably, the roster features five point guards, compensating for the absence of Thomas Heurtel, who has played the position regularly for France in recent years but was omitted due to his Russian club affiliation.
France will face a series of tough opponents in warmup games before the Olympics, including Turkey, Serbia, and Australia. The French team, which won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, will be placed in Group B alongside Germany and Japan. The fourth team in the group will be determined through a qualifying tournament.
The preliminary roster will be trimmed down to 12 players for the tournament, providing Collet with a difficult task of selecting the most cohesive and competitive team possible. With its star-studded lineup and defensive prowess, France is poised to make a strong run for gold in front of its home crowd in Paris.
In addition to the talented players on the preliminary roster, France also has a wealth of depth and experience. Players such as Frank Ntilikina, Terry Tarpey, and Vincent Poirier have all played significant roles for the national team in recent years and could be called upon to contribute in Paris. With the Olympics just over a year away, the French team will continue to refine its preparation and seek to build chemistry on and off the court.
