Has France men's basketball team ever won the Olympics? Closer look at all-time records
Over the last 88 years we have seen four different nations win the presitious gold medal for men's basketball at the Olympic Games, but is the France men's basketball team one of them? France has a rich basketball tradition and is considered a powerhouse within Europe. At the Olympics, however, they have never succeeded in taking home the gold.
The France men's basketball team continues to churn out great players year after year, with many of their top athletes breaking through at the NBA level. Richard Dacoury, Tony Parker and Rudy Gobert have all represented the nation at the Olympics, but all of them fell short of the coveted gold medal.
France has finished second in the competition on three occasions.
The team won their first silver medal in 1948, defeating Brazil in the semifinals before eventually losing out to the United States 65-21 in the championship.
In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, coach Jean-Pierre de Vincenzi's team defeated the home nation Australia in the semifinals. It was once again the USA that stood in the way of a gold medal, and while the French team put up a good fight, they were unable to defeat a USA team littered with talented stars like Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter and Gary Payton.
The 2020 Toyko Olympics offered the France men's basketball team another opportunity to win the ultimate prize. Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier were all members of the 2020 side that were one of the favorites going into the tournament. A narrow 90-89 win over Slovenia in the semis set up another encounter versus Team USA. France kept the game close, but lost by a final score of 87-82.
The France men's basketball team will bring a talented roster to the 2024 Olympic Games
Team USA remains the favorite going into the Olympic Games in Paris but France will bring a talented roster with five NBA players set to feature for the team.
Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Star Rudy Gobert will be of the team's key figures. The Minnesota Timberwolves center has played in over 800 NBA games (regular season and playoffs) and is set to make his second appearance at the Olympics.
The France men's basketball roster also boasts NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama on the roster. Over the last year, the 20-year-old phenom has shown that he can compete against some of the game's best. Wembanyama finished his first season with the San Antonio Spurs averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and led the league with 3.6 blocks per game.