When Team USA takes on the French in their opening game Sunday at Olympic Park’s Basketball Arena, you’ll be forgiven if you begin having flashbacks to the Western Conference finals showdown earlier this summer between the Thunder and Spurs.
That’s because, while the U.S. features three Oklahoma City stars (Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook), France will trot out two players who started for the Spurs, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. France also will have guard Nando de Colo, who will join the Spurs next year, on the bench.
“We know they have a lot of NBA players,” Harden said. “It is guys that we are familiar with. They’re going to be a tough team to play because they’re good, they can shoot. They’re not going to be intimidated.”
Parker, of course, will get the focus of Team USA’s defense. He has been the captain of France’s national team since 2003 but had a shoddy legacy in that role in his early going. Other than a bronze-medal win in the 2005 World Championship, there has been disappointment for the French. The team blew a late lead against Lithuania in the Eurobasket tournament of ’03, costing them a shot at an Olympic berth. France was knocked out of the quarterfinals in Eurobasket in ’07, again failing to qualify for the Olympics.
But last year, Parker was brilliant in the Eurobasket tournament, averaging 22.4 points and 4.4 assists and helping Les Bleus to finally turn around that disappointing history in international tournaments. They reached the final game, losing to Spain, but the second-place finish was their best since 1949, and finally got them back into the Olympics.
Team USA men's basketball opens its 2012 Olympic schedule Sunday against Tony Parker's French squad. (AP Photo)Parker will have to play with goggles in the tournament, having suffered an eye injury during a nightclub brawl in New York last month. Still, he told reporters in France that the Americans are not invincible.
“All teams can be beaten,” he said. “They are not unbeatable. In competition, anything can happen.”
Beyond Diaw and Parker, of course, France has an NBA-caliber roster. One of their best players is Portland forward Nicolas Batum, who also was effective in last year’s Eurobasket tournament. Seven-year NBA veteran Ronny Turiaf, a member of the Heat last year and signed by the Clippers this summer, will start at center. Mickael Gelabale, who played two seasons for the Sonics, will join Batum on the wing.
On the bench, France has Wizards forward Kevin Seraphin, wing Yakhouba Diawara, who appeared in 187 games over four NBA seasons, and de Colo. Florent Pietrus, brother of NBA guard Mickael Pietrus, will see time, too.
An upset of Team USA is not likely. But of all the teams in the Americans’ pool, France figures to have as good a shot as anyone at pulling it off.
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