France, country of Talent
Be the next talent
France has produced many basketball stars. Here are some examples
Victor Wembanyama
The 19-year-old Frenchman has been hailed as the most talented prospect since LeBron James entered the NBA two decades ago.
Wembanyama is a very different player from James though: variously listed at 7ft 4in and 7ft 5in, he has all the tools of a big man combined with the agility of a much smaller player.
In his final season in the French league he led all players in points, rebounds and blocks.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he was impressed by Wembanyama’s off-court demeanour.
“He’s got a great disposition, a good combination of intellectual ability and an emotional intelligence at the same time,” Popovich said. “He understands what hype is. He understands all the attention he’s getting, but he still welcomes it, deals with it. … So, I think he understands that there’s a way to handle that responsibility and still let people feel somewhat close to him. So he doesn’t need a lot of advice in that area.”
Tony Parker
Four NBA titles, a Legion d’Honneur, a European crown with France and on Saturday in Springfield, Massachusetts, Tony Parker will become the first Frenchman to enter the NBA Hall of Fame.
Born in Bruges in Belgium in May 1982 to an American father and a Dutch mother, Parker gained French citizenship when he was 15.
After playing in the French amateur leagues for two seasons, Parker turned professional and signed with Paris Basket Racing in 1999. During the summer of 2000, Parker excelled during a Nike Hoop Summit in Indianapolis in the United States.
But despite offers from leading American colleges, Parker remained in France with Paris Basket Racing.
He went to the Spurs in the 2001 draft as the 28th pick.
But from such inauspicious beginnings, the rookie advanced spectacularly to become one of the most celebrated players in NBA history.
He won his titles with the Spurs in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. In the 2007 championship series he was deemed the most valuable player. His sole crown with France came at the European championships in 2013.
When he retired in 2018, the stats showed him as the ninth leading scorer and fifth leading passer in the end of season play-offs. In 2019, the Spurs retired his number 9 shirt – the ultimate accolade for a player.
On the eve of the Hall of Fame ceremony, Parker celebrated with family and friends such as the former France international Thierry Henry who was filmed dancing during the festivities at Parker’s villa in San Antonio.
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