Hoopers' Delight

French Basketball is Powerful – And the Best is Yet to Come!

French basketball is booming on several sides, boosted by a successful olympic year and the rise of ROTY-winner Victor Wembanyama. This season is likely to be a nice one for french hoopers ; here, we feel like an « ambient power » that can be converted on courts during the next years. It’s a little risky to write it, but French basketball may has reached his best level of influence, and this is not the end right now. Our insights.

NBA : what to expect this season

To explore the rising prominence of French basketball players in the NBA this season, it’s essential to remind that France has experienced a successful year in global basketball, highlighted by strong Olympic performances and a solid 3x3 team effort. In the NBA, a new wave of French talent is following the path of legends like Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and so on. This season, players like Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Zaccharie Risacher are making substantial impacts early on.

1. Victor Wembanyama – The centerpiece of the new French generation, Wembanyama has already displayed his versatility and defensive strengths with the San Antonio Spurs. His unique skill set and size make him a transformative player, drawing attention to both his potential as a scorer and shot-blocker, especially following a solid preseason and his recent early-season performances.
   => if Spurs make it in the playoffs this season, thanks to this association with Chris Paul, « Wemby » can certainly take the DPOY title or make it in the All-Star-Game. A new big light for French basketball
2. Rudy Gobert – Now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gobert continues his role as a defensive anchor. Known for his multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, he’s critical to Minnesota's playoff ambitions, focusing on shot-blocking and rim protection. Despite tough criticism about his offensive playing skillset, Rudy Gobert is still an important piece in Minnesota’s roster.
   => even if Minnesota’s recent trade is seen as a slight « step back », their team are still a contender for the title ; if Gobert succeeds in reaching the NBA finals (or more), this will be another way of putting the French flag on the lights. 
3. Zaccharie Risacher – Selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Risacher is seen as a versatile forward with strong scoring potential. His entry into the NBA underscores France’s consistent production of top-tier talent and strengthens the trend of highly drafted French players, especially following last year’s landmark drafting of Wembanyama. Trae Young praises him, and he already has the opportunity to take minutes and play against top players.
   => Zaccharie Risacher will understandably be scrutinized this year. If he manages to deal with this pressure thanks to solid rookie performances, Atlanta will certainly enjoy his association with Trae Young ; Zaccharie can become a muse there.
4. Nicolas Batum – « captain » Batum is near the end of his career but he’s still a very trusted player and he certainly will play a lot with the Clippers this year. At the new Intuit Dome, Batman will help the team to stay competitive, despite the loss of PG.
   => Jeff Van Gundy’s Clippers can make a good season to finish a « bad cycle ». Making it to the playoffs with a nice path can make fans proud again, with a french experienced player among them.
5. Bilal Coulibaly - Bilal Coulibaly has shown impressive growth in his second NBA season with the Washington Wizards. After a modest rookie year, his role and performance have both expanded considerably. He’s currently averaging about 16 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game with effective shooting splits (50% FG, 36% 3PT, and 81% FT), making him an efficient scorer who’s also active on the defensive end. His length and athleticism contribute to his defensive impact, allowing him to guard multiple positions and excel in transition.
   => if Bilal confirms in becoming a key talent this year, Washington will fall in love with a player that is on brilliant trajectory and could help the team in his rebuilding period ; the other french in the roster, Alex Sarr, will benefit from it too.
6. Alex Sarr - selected second overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2024 NBA Draft, has shown both promise and areas for growth in the early season. During preseason, he delivered a solid debut performance against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 15 points on efficient shooting (6-for-8 from the field, 3-for-4 from three), along with 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and a block. His shooting accuracy and defensive versatility have positioned him as a starting power forward alongside Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Kuzma in the Wizards’ lineup.
   => with Coulibaly in the roster and experienced players with him, Sarr can benefit from a good context to become a confirmed NBA player. Let’s see how he will adapt this year.
7. Guerschon Yabusele - « the man who dunked on LeBron » had his own article here :  https://hoopersdelight.fr/blog/post/en-french-insight-yabusele-is-gonna-kill-it-philly/ ; he’s got everything to be a successful player in Philly.

With France boasting a record number of NBA players (we did not talk about Tidjane Salaûn, Ousmane Dieng, Pacome Dadiet and Rayane Rupert), the country’s basketball impact is evident not only in quantity but in the caliber of these athletes. The contributions of these players could strengthen the perception of French talent in the league, showcasing both their individual and collective influence on the NBA’s competitive landscape.

Women’s basketball : despite a little number of players in WNBA, a solid overall position

Olivia Epoupa was the only one french player in the WNBA final this season. Epoupa, 30, was part of the olympic French team who conceded a narrowed loss against Team USA in Paris Olympic. 

Marine Johannès shone last season in the WNBA, capturing the spotlight with the Liberty. The return of Gabby Williams to the Storm right after Paris 2024 highlighted that French basketball continues to rise. Earlier this year, ESB Villeneuve d'Ascq reached the EuroLeague final — a first for a French League team since 2004 — an impressive feat given the powerhouse rosters of Europe’s top clubs - and huge budget differences. A bunch of great players continue to shine like Iliana Rupert (Mersin, Turkey), Marième Badiane (Fenerbahçe, Turkey), Marine Fauthoux or Valériane Ayayi. The French National team is highly skilled for a couple of years.

France Dominates Youth Tournaments

It may not have made as much noise as the Olympic achievements of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, but the French national youth teams absolutely dominated their competition on the European stage this summer. There’s no other way to put it — the young French teams practically swept the titles up for grabs during the summer’s EuroBasket tournaments.

On the women’s side, they nearly pulled off a triple crown: the U20 team beat every opponent to retain their title, with Spain unable to keep up in the final. The U18s also defeated Spain in their tournament final, while the U16s narrowly missed out on completing the sweep, falling to Finland in a strange game that cost them the three-peat. So close!

On the men’s side, the results were nearly as impressive, with two titles out of three. The U20 team clinched gold, edging out Slovenia, while the U16s thrashed Spain in their final to claim the crown. That’s a lot for France’s basketball rival to digest, and Spain will likely be eager for a rematch in the coming years.
Did We Say Dominate? It’s Close With 4 Titles Out of 6

Four titles out of six, with a total of five medals, isn’t far from total domination. Only the U18 men’s team missed the podium, with their journey ending in the quarterfinals.

Within these youth teams, there are already names to watch as potential stars at the highest level. Add all this talent to the depth of top-level players currently emerging (see above), and the future of French basketball looks promising indeed.

Paris, a new strong place in National championship + highest number of registrations 

Paris Basketball started to play in EuroLeague and, at the same time, a fight against Monaco and Lyon-Villeurbane to get French Betclic Elite title. Of course, having a club in the capital will make the french championship more competitive and attractive. For the moment, French clubs struggle when it comes to talk about budgets, compared to EuroLeague top teams. 

France is not the place where players can make the more money on both women and men clubs’ side. That being said, seeing Monaco (for men) and Villeneuve d’Ascq (women) reaching EuroLeague’s final four (in 2023 for Monaco) as big performances. 

Just after the Olympics, the French federation registered the highest number of players they had with +750,000 people. 

French Basketball has never been more popular, and this is not the end. France is becoming a big basketball place, and federal organizations have to capitalize on it, develop clever partnerships and apply the best strategies. Let's see what happens in 2028 and other international competitions.

HoopsWriter