"We still have a little hope, but we are rather pessimistic."
This is what Vincent Collet said on October 23, when the group announced for the next gathering, at the end of November in Pau.
And the last hopes of seeing French NBA players in Blue in the Pau bubble have vanished.
"For us, it is settled, indicates the general manager of Team France Basket, Patrick Beelsey, this Friday at
L'Equipe
.
The players are already going back to the USA.
We said we could change the list if we got a quick message from the NBA.
It was not the case.
With a recovery on December 1, it seems impossible that the NBA players are in selection the previous week. "
https://t.co/P8TahtXIOS
- Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) November 6, 2020
In this case, the training camps should start on December 1, with a start of the 2020-21 season scheduled for December 22.
Evan Fournier is already on his way to the United States.
The other French NBAers should follow quickly, like Rudy Gobert or Vincent Poirier.
Remember that the national coach will also have to do without players playing in the Euroleague in Pau, for these two qualifying matches for Euro 2022 against Great Britain (27/11) and Germany (29/11).
The most prestigious European club competition does not relax during the international windows, it is not new ... This concerns in particular the many Blues of Asvel.
Les Bleus in full next summer in Tokyo?
We can nevertheless have a smile on the side of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), the management of the France team and the players.
While we may have feared that the NBA 2020-21 season will spill over into the Olympic Games, from July 23 to August 8, it will not be.
A priori, and except injury of course, Vincent Collet will therefore be able to count on all his vital forces in Tokyo next year.
In the meantime, it is without his best elements that the national coach will have to compose at the Palais des Sports in Pau.
"The players who will constitute this team deserve respect," coach Collet said in October, referring to the 13 players selected.
It's up to them to play.
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The NBA will resume its rights on December 22