How many French players are in the NBA right now? We take a look at the top 5
France has always produced NBA talent and are currently relying on their nation's stars to transfer that knowledge of playing in basketball's top league to the gold medal matchup against Team USA on Saturday.
The French national side were able to overcome their American opponents in the two sides' group opener at the Tokyo Olympics. They will meet again after Nicolas Batum secured the game-winning block to propel France past a valiant Slovenian team.
Five of the French roster currently play in the NBA, headlined by defensive stopper Rudy Gobert and lead scorer Evan Fournier. However, there are eight other players from France that currently star in the league, totalling 13 overall.
In this article, we will take a look at who the country's top five talents are.
Who are the best French players in the NBA?
#5 Killian Hayes
Despite not being selected to represent France at the Olympics, Killian Hayes is still one of the country's top talents competing in the NBA. Selected 7th overall by the Detroit Pistons in last year's draft, Hayes was unable to make the kind of impact he had hoped for when he suffered a hip injury in January that ruled him out for over ten weeks.
Towards the end of the NBA campaign, though, Pistons fans were able to see how Hayes would perform in the future as a starter and he particularly impressed in their last five games when he averaged 11.2 points and 6.4 assists. Playing in the Summer League alongside this year's No.1 overall pick Cade Cunningham, Hayes will be able to get ready for a full season of playing time.
#4 Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot will be looking forward to another matchup against Brooklyn Nets teammate Kevin Durant when they face off on Saturday. The small forward has provided valuable minutes as a role player for France at the Olympics and has put up 8.6 points and 3.4 rebounds, along with 1.6 steals, per game.
The 26-year-old's career in the NBA, however, has been disjointed due to injuries and is yet to compete in more than 69 games in one season. This year, behind the aforementioned Durant in their frontcourt, Cabarrot averaged 6.4 points and 2.2 rebounds on 18 minutes per contest.
He shot the ball poorly but showed glimpses of what he could provide to the Nets' depth going forward. Nevertheless, he is still one of the top 5 French players in the NBA and could become the only one on this list to win a championship next year.