MIES (Switzerland) - Some of the best players to ever compete in FIBA competitions have worn the France jersey.
And the majority have done so in the current era, when international basketball has been at its zenith. Les Bleus won FIBA EuroBasket 2013, claimed silver medals at the last two Olympics, in Tokyo an Paris, and won Third-Place Games at the 2014 and 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cups.
France also captured silver at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and before that in 1948 at the London Games, while in the EuroBasket they reached Finals in 1949, 2011 and 2015, and finished third six times dating back to 1937, including in the last two decades in 2005 and 2015.
If you had to choose an All-Time Starting Five for France, who would it be? We've come up with this one.
Tony Parker - Guard
For many, Parker was French basketball during his career. A four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, including the MVP of the 2007 Final, Parker was a six-time All-Star. His fame spread far and wide. Playing for his country was a priority, though. Like so many other standouts in Europe, he forged a strong connection with his homeland as a youth national team player, leading France to the U18 EuroBasket title in 2000.
Unstoppable at FIBA EuroBasket 2013
The MVP of EuroBasket 2013, Parker was nearly unstoppable when the ball was in his hands. He scored, and he dished. His pull-up jumpers on fast breaks or in the half-court offense, and the ability to put his head down and drive past defenders, made it a nightmare to guard him.
Parker scored 1,104 points in his 66-game EuroBasket career, averaging 16.7 points. In the EuroBasket 2011 Semi-Final against Russia, a game France had to win to reach the Olympics for the first time since 2000, Parker led the way with 22 points and 4 steals in a 79-71 win. In the Semi-Finals of EuroBasket 2013, when France had to overcome their nemesis, Spain, to stay on track for a first title in the competition, Parker poured in 32 points in his team's 75-72 come-from-behind win.
Two years later in Montpellier, Parker became the EuroBasket's all-time leading scorer. Though Pau Gasol has since climbed above him on the scoring ladder, the top four points scorers in EuroBasket history - Pau Gasol, Parker, Dirk Nowitzki and Nikos Galis - is one illustration of how special Parker was in his career.
Nicolas Batum - Forward
The block in the Tokyo Olympics Semi-Final against Slovenia!
The made 3-pointer while falling out of bounds against Spain at EuroBasket 2015 in Lille!
The 35 points against Serbia in the 2014 World Cup Semi-Final in Madrid, followed by the game-high 27 in the 95-93 win over Lithuania in the battle for a podium spot.
His block on Prepelic in Tokyo is arguably the France national team's all-time best highlight
Batum's national team career is the stuff of legend. He truly has been a human highlight reel for Les Bleus.
There is symmetry to his career: four EuroBaskets, four World Cups and four Olympics. Seven times he reached the podium with France's senior team, in addition to the 2006 U18 EuroBasket title in 2006. When France beat Lithuania, 80-66, in the EuroBasket 2013 title game, the high-flying Batum had a team-high 17 points. His 9 points, 6 assists, 3 steals and 1 block were crucial in the Third-Place Game victory over Australia at the 2019 World Cup.
Talented, hard working, unyielding and a leader, Batum is one of the fab five Frenchmen.
Boris Diaw - Forward
Diaw's long career with France was never about grabbing the spotlight or leading the team in statistical categories. Diaw's purpose was, essentially, to be there every time France went into battle, and to excel in all facets of the game.
He was reliable. Coach Vincent Collet knew what he was getting from Diaw every time out, and that was solid, unselfish play. Diaw represented France from 2003 to 2019, playing in eight EuroBaskets, three World Cups and two Olympics, and he celebrated five podium finishes. He scored and rebounded, and set up teammates with his passing.
Forever Les Bleus captain
Diaw endured some disappointments early in his France career. The team lost at the death in the EuroBasket 2003 Third-Place Game to Italy to miss out on the 2004 Olympics. At EuroBasket 2005, France blew a big lead in the last minute of their Semi-Final against Greece and lost, and at EuroBasket 2007, Diaw and France not only slipped up against Russia in the Quarter-Finals but fell twice more to miss out on the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
There was a lot more good, however. When France captured the EuroBasket 2013 crown in Slovenia, Diaw had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in the Final against Lithuania. The next year, in one of France's biggest wins during his national team career in Madrid, Diaw had a team-high 15 points, along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists as France ended Spain's World Cup hopes in the Quarter-Finals, 65-52. More than statistics, Diaw's presence was reassuring for teammates and coaches. He served France. His only aim was to help his country win.
Victor Wembanyama - Forward
Wemby, the NBA's Rookie of the Year in the 2023-24 season with the San Antonio Spurs, has played in just two events for France's senior team, the FIBA World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers and the Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024.
Yet that was enough to prove he's not only special, but the player France will lean on for many years to come. He's officially the main man, and will be every time he plays for France at upcoming World Cups, Olympics and EuroBaskets.
He is the future
With his long frame and big wingspan, the 2.24m Wembanyama can not only score from seemingly impossible angles, be it with finger rolls, dunks or jump shots. Oh no, he also blocks shots and rebounds. He's the most tantalizing player in the sport. He may be the most tantalizing player in the world of sport. In the Gold Medal Game in Paris, Wembanyama had 26 points and 7 rebounds. He buried three shots from deep.
His overall numbers of 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds landed Wembanyama on the Paris Olympics All-Star Five, with Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Dennis Schroder. If he's already keeping that sort of company at the age of 20, imagine what Wembanyama is going to do for France in the tournaments to come?
Rudy Gobert - Center
The Stifle Tower has been an imposing and at times dominating center throughout his career, and especially on defense. It's why four times Gobert has scooped the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the NBA. With France, the 2.16m (7ft 1in) Gobert has been an ever-present in the lineup dating back to 2014, when he had one of the most famous blocks in World Cup history.
A national team rookie, Gobert swatted Pau Gasol in Madrid during France's upset of the tournament hosts. Other than missing France's EuroBasket 2017 campaign while he tried to fully recover from a knee injury, Gobert has been an ever-present in the national team.
21-16-3 in the win over USA in 2019
He helped France finish third at the 2014 and 2019 World Cups, and second at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. Gobert was also a key man as France finished third when they hosted EuroBasket 2015, and runners-up at the star-studded EuroBasket 2022. Gobert's numbers showed just how crucial he was to France's success in 2019, 2021 and 2022. At the first of those in China at the World Cup, when Gobert averaged 10.1 points, 9.1 rebouds and 1.9 block, Gobert was le dominateur in France's most famous win against the USA in the Quarter-Finals. Against players he faces in the NBA, Gobert had 21 points, 16 rebounds 3 blocks!
In another of France's all-time great wins, against Slovenia in the Semi-Finals of the Tokyo Olympics, Gobert had 16 rebounds and 4 blocks! And at EuroBasket 2022, in the Round of 16 win over Turkey and Quarter-Final triumph over Italy, both narrow victories, Gobert had a combined 39 points and 31 rebounds.
Honorable Mentions
Nando de Colo
De Colo played with French flair. A slick ball handler, passer and shooter, he was a linchpin in France teams from the time he broke into the national side in 2008 until his last minutes in the 2024 Olympic Final in Paris. De Colo shone at five EuroBaskets, four Olympics and three World Cups. At EuroBasket 2015 in Montpellier and Lille, De Colo averaged 13.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 3.7 apg. In their 81-68 triumph over Serbia that clinched third place, De Colo had a game-high 20 points. He followed that with an MVP performance at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila as France clinched a place in the Rio de Janeiro Games. De Colo's 14.7 ppg then led France in scoring in Brazil.
In 2019 in China, De Colo's 16.5 ppg helped France reach the World Cup podium for the second time in a row. His game-high 19 points led France to a come-from-behind win over Australia in the battle for third. He was never better than at the Tokyo Olympics, where in the Semi-Finals against Slovenia, De Colo's game-high 25 points led France to victory and to a spot in the Gold Medal Game. And in the Final against the USA, De Colo excelled under pressure with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, though the French fell, 87-82. Even in his his fourth and last Olympics, when De Colo played less, his experience came to the fore in another hard-fought Gold Medal Game against USA with 12 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Joakim Noah
Though he played in just one event, FIBA EuroBasket 2011, Noah did what he was asked to do. He provided a strong inside presence as France reached the Final to qualify for the London Olympics. Noah was ferocious on the boards and backed down from no one.
In a very strong, star-studded tournament, Noah averaged 9.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg a game. He was terrific in clashes with Serbia and Lithuania.
Florent Pietrus
It's hard to imagine a French player showing more commitment to the cause, and showing more intensity every time he ran onto the court to battle for France, than Pietrus. The high-energy forward was the ultimate spark plug for France, and the numerous clubs that he suited up for in Europe.
Representing France from 2003 through the 2016 Olympics, Pietrus reached the EuroBasket podium on four occasions, including the EuroBasket title triumph, and also celebrated a third place at the 2014 World Cup.
Antoine Rigaudeau
Le Roi (The King) had many a great moment on the court for France. Inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2015, Rigaudeau played for the national team 128 times and led it to the Final of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, averaging 12.6 ppg.
Rigaudeau also played in several EuroBaskets, getting to the podium in the sixth and last after Les Bleus defeated Spain in the Third-Place Game.
Evan Fournier
One of the most explosive scorers for France in their most successful era, Fournier has shone on the EuroBasket, World Cup and Olympic stages. His greatest tournament was the 2019 World Cup, when he made the All-Star Five. Fournier averaged 19.8 ppg while shooting 41% (16 of 39) from deep. Against the USA in the Quarter-Finals, Fournier was 4 of 8 from deep and had 22 points.
The USA often brought out the best in the NBA veteran because he had 28 points in France's opening night win against the Americans at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and also 16 points in that Gold Medal Game that Les Bleus lost, 87-82.
FIBA
*This All-Star Five and the honorable mentions are entirely subjective and in no way represent an official or accurate award, nor do they reflect FIBA's official stance. All comments are solely those of the author and expert panel, intended to entertain the fans.