Ten years on, only two remain. Of the 12 French basketball players who struck gold at Euro 2013 in Slovenia, only Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo remain in the team that will face Canada on Friday, August 25, in the opening game of the World Cup, which is being played in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan until September 10.

"We're not the young kids anymore," Batum said, philosophically. As captain of Les Bleus since the retirement of Boris Diaw, the 34-year-old veteran missed out on the European Championships in Germany last year. The French team missed Diaw's experience and fluidity, as well as De Colo, who was also absent. Without its leaders who have known a large number of campaigns in the blue jersey – both made their debut at Euro 2009 – the squad led by Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert reached the final, but ultimately lost to Spain (88-76).

For this second World Cup campaign in Asia, four years after taking the bronze in China, the leaders are back, and they are being welcomed with open arms by the French team staff. "In an ecosystem like a team, every player has influence. Nicolas and Nando's role is to be a little more influential than the others," said the coach, Vincent Collet. "It puts everyone back in their place." Collet, who already has led the team in 13 major tournaments, has noticed a real improvement in the fluidity of the game and communication between the players since the return of his two veterans. "It rebalances the team," said pivot Moustapha Fall, who, like the rest of the squad, is delighted with new-found stability thanks to the return of the two European champions.

After narrowly losing to Australia (78-74) on Sunday, their only loss in their seven World Cup warm-up games, Les Bleus have reinstated the Los Angeles Clippers' forward and ASVEL's point guard as if they'd never left the team, and have high expectations. Having won bronze at the last two World Cups, in 2014 and 2019, Collet's official line is they will not be satisfied with anything less than "a podium finish." The goal is almost cautious, for an Olympic runner-up – France took silver in Tokyo in 2021, losing the mighty Americans in the final.

But according to the most experienced national team coach in French basketball history, "it's easier to get to the quarter-finals at the Olympics [than the World Cup]." This time, to be among the top eight teams in the world, they will have to get past Canada, Latvia, Brazil and the reigning European and world champions, Spain, among others. And they will have to come away with at least three wins against these four nations. "We shouldn't be under any illusions: We are going to have to pull out all the stops, or at least play some great games," warned Collet.

You have 51.15% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.