OLYMPIC GAMES
How many NBA players play for France?
France, boasting a number of NBA players, take on the USA in the gold medal match on Saturday 10 August, with tip-off at 3.30pm ET.
France’s basketball team are in the Olympic final, where they’ll take on the USA for the coveted gold medal. The final tips off on Saturday, August 10, at 3.30 p.m. ET.
The French 12-man roster has a four players who are currently in the NBA, let’s take a look.
NBA players on France basketball roster
First up of course is Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. He was the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. So far at the Olympics the center is averaging 13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Rudy Gobert, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves, is nursing a finger injury and sat out France’s quarter-final match against Canada, but should be available. He’s played 11 NBA seasons and is a three-time All-Star.
The French team captain, Nic Batum, has 16-years of NBA experience under his belt. The small forward plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bilal Coulibaly meanwhile plays for the Washington Wizards, having been a first-round pick in 2023. The small forward averaged 8.4 points per game last season.
French NBA experience
In addition to the four active NBA players, France have Evan Fournier who played for 13 years in the NBA, for the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and last season the Detroit Pistons. He’s now a free agent.
France also have a number of former NBA players:
Frank Ntilikina, currently with Partizan in the EuroLeague, was a first-round pick by New York in 2017 and played in the NBA for seven seasons.
Nando de Colo, now with ASVEL in the EuroLeague, played in the NBA for three seasons, donning the uniforms of the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors.