France is aiming for their first Olympic basketball gold medal on home soil in Paris, but they must overcome Team USA, the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
The French team has some experience, having reached the final again after defeating Germany 73-69 on Thursday. Victor Wembanyama sees this as a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to achieve glory.
France’s History and Current Opportunity
France has previously settled for silver three timesโin 1948, 2000, and most recently at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Now they’re just one game away from winning it all at home.
Pure emotion from Victor Wembanyama and the France team after advancing to the Gold Medal match
โ PropSwap (@PropSwap)
Victor Wembanyama expressed his excitement: โItโs a chance to write history even more.โ He was last year’s top NBA draft pick and became Rookie of the Year with a strong season at San Antonio Spurs.
French Basketball Talent
Recently, France has produced top-tier basketball talent. Zachary Risacher was picked first by Atlanta Hawks in June’s draft, followed by Alex Sarr going second to Washington Wizards.
Wembanyama added: โOf course, (itโs) some part of a dream come true. Big part of a goal we set ourselves months back.โ He emphasized how unique this opportunity is for them.
Fans are really excited about this!
He also shared his emotional journey through the competition: โIncredible moment. The fans made it hard for me not to cry,โ he said after scoring 11 points against Germany in the semifinals.
The Intensity of National Pride
โThe national team jersey brings us energy we canโt find anywhere else,โ Wembanyama stated. This energy has been evident in their intense gameplay over recent matches.
Team USA’s Comeback Against Serbia
Team USA had an incredible comeback against Serbia to reach the finals. With only 7:19 left on the clock and trailing by 11 points, they managed to turn things around despite leading for just over three minutes compared to Serbia’s thirty-five minutes lead time.
โIโm really humbled to have been a part of this game,โ said U.S. coach Steve Kerr. He compared it to classic games like Villanova-Georgetown for older fans out there.
โThey forced us to reach our highest level,โ Kerr continued. The American players were exceptional in that fourth quarter and secured their spot in the finals.
Now it’s time for an epic showdown between France and Team USAโa rematch from Tokyo Games where U.S won narrowly with an 87-82 scoreline. Meanwhile, Germany will play against Serbia earlier that Saturday for bronze medals.
