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Brian Windhorst, ESPN Senior Editor
PARIS — Players walked aimlessly around the field with their hands on their heads. Coaches held hands in a circle and jumped for joy. There were hugs. There were tears. A veteran leader stripped off his jersey and triumphantly walked out in front of a crowd of fans who refused to leave.
France enjoyed Thursday night’s semifinal victory over Germany as if they had won a trophy. But what they really won was just a moment, a chance to face Team USA in the gold medal game on Saturday (3 p.m. ET/noon PT) on the banks of the Seine in the French capital.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” Victor Wembanyama speak.
“To play in the Olympic final in Paris,” coach Vincent Collet said in French, “this is a ray“
It was a dream.
The French team is facing some turmoil. Evan Fournierwho now has shirtless pictures published in newspapers across the country, had a public spat with Collet over tactics.
Collet essentially called out Wembanyama, his most important player, for not passing enough. And in a playoff game against Canada, the coach completely changed the starting lineup, bringing in Green football team legendary Rudy Gobert for all but three minutes.
The French team lost four times in their pre-Olympic games, narrowly missed out on reaching the medal round after a miraculous and mildly controversial four-pointer saved them from certain defeat against Japan, and were completely crushed the first time they played Germany in the group stage.
All that is gone now. The U.S. will face a formidable home team with an incredible record. Collet’s lineup changes have unleashed a new energy and inspired Fournier, who lost his starting spot but has responded with some decisive strikes.
France first surprised Canada, perhaps the most shocking team of the tournament so far, with a stunning performance from their new squad. They then defeated favourites Germany, the reigning World Cup champions who have won 13 straight games since 2022. All in front of a raucous crowd with blue, white and red seems to be painted on every cheek.
“The crowd was amazing,” said U.S. coach Steve Kerr. “Everybody was just jumping around, and I actually took my phone out and videoed the crowd because it was special just to see the energy and the enthusiasm. And obviously it’s going to be even louder on Saturday night, and I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever been a part of.”
“Fun” is an understatement.
This is a rematch of the 2021 Olympic final in Tokyo, where the United States won a close 87-82 victory. France defeated the United States in a group stage match in Japan, ending Team USA’s 25-game Olympic winning streak dating back to Beijing 2008.
As USA Basketball built this roster, it focused on bigger size by recruiting Joel Embiid for the team in addition to bringing back the gold medalists Anthony Davis And Bam AdebayoFrance is one of the teams they think of.
With Wembanyama and Gobert, France has the ability to play extremely big — plus they have healthy forwards. Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort. Their defense played a key role in defeating Germany, who scored 25 points in the first quarter of the semi-final but then only scored a combined 25 points in the second and third quarters.
The French certainly took notice of the success Serbia achieved in Team USA’s semi-final victory, when they used two of their big players, Nikola Jokic and Nikola Milutinov. But in the past two games, France has not played as big as before, as Gobert has given up most of his playing time and Wembanyama has moved into a starting center role.
The smaller, faster team plays with much more energy, especially on defense. Yabusele, who moved into the starting lineup in place of Gobert, and Lessort have made a significant impact with their energy, endearing them to the French crowd.
“It was impressive to see their team evolve, change their style immediately,” Kerr said. “What stands out on tape is that they play hard on both ends. And so we have to be prepared for that physicality and that power, and we have to not only keep up, but we have to surpass. And that’s the challenge.”
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Collet continued to lean towards compact play, substituting former reserve defender Isaïa Cordinier for Fournier in the starting lineup. Only a substitute in the first few games, Cordinier made a surprising difference with his energy and long-range shooting ability at the back, where France are traditionally weak.
Cordinier has averaged 18 points and hit 6 of 10 3-pointers in the past two games. Kerr said Friday that he is a player they have done some extra preparation for after his appearance last week in Paris.
The Americans will likely have to rely on a flexible game plan, one that can be prepared for the French to keep their lineup small or go big. That’s where Adebayo, Davis and LeBron JamesAll can defend a variety of key locations, giving the United States several advantages.
But regardless, after immersing themselves in the country for weeks and witnessing how French athletes responded to home crowds during their impressive Olympic performances, Team USA is well aware of the challenge.
“You expect them to play the best game of their lives because they’ll have the excitement of being at home,” Steph Curry said Friday, a day after he scored 36 points in a comeback win over Serbia. “They’re on a roll after the last two games. You have to expect them to play great, but we expect that from ourselves as well.”
