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Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Iran vs France photo by MojNews –

20 Greatest French Basketball Players Of All Time

Basketball was first played in France in 1893 and is currently the second most popular sport there. The incredible talents the game has produced over the years show how the game has changed over time. French professional basketball players have demonstrated why they belong in the top tier as point guards, centres, and forwards just to mention a few positions.

These players have proceeded to have success in France and other leagues around the world. These athletes, who exhibit physical agility and athleticism, compete in various court positions. They have earned a place among hybrid athletes not just in basketball but in all sports due to their dominance on the court.

Despite the various roles that these players play on the field, they have managed to come together as a powerful force that has aided their teams and the nation as a whole in success. These players’ names will always be etched in the annals of the greatest basketball players to ever play thanks to their extraordinary talents. Here are the 20 greatest French basketball players of all time.

1. Tony Parker

Tony Parker photo by Keith Allison –

Tony Parker is a French-American former professional basketball player who played from 1999 to 2019. Before joining the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA, Parker began his basketball career with 麻豆APP Basket Racing in the French basketball league. In the NBA Draft of 2001, the Spurs took him with the 28th overall choice, and he soon established himself as their starting point guard.

Parker earned four NBA titles while playing for the Spurs in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. During the 2011 NBA lockout, he also played for ASVEL Basket in France. He ended his playing career with the Charlotte Hornets after one season. He left the NBA playoffs as the fifth-leading passer and ninth-leading scorer overall. In addition to being selected for six NBA All-Star games, three All-NBA Second Teams and one All-NBA Third Team he also won the 2007 NBA Finals MVP. He is regarded as one of Europe’s all-time great players.

Parker won the 2013 EuroBasket MVP award while competing for the French national team, who defeated Lithuania in the championship game. He scored 19 points on average per game to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer. He set the record for most points scored in the history of the EuroBasket competition in 2015; Paul Gasol surpassed it two years later.

2. Rudy Gobert 

Rudy Gobert during the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland photo by Erik Drost –

Rudy Gobert is a French-born professional basketball player who currently plays centre for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. He competes for France in international competitions. He is regarded as one of the NBA’s top rim protectors.

Gobert is tied for third-most in NBA history in terms of the number of times he has been named Defensive Player of the Year. He has been named to the All-NBA Team four times, the All-Defensive First Team six times, and the NBA All-Star team three times. In addition, Gobert led the NBA in both blocks and rebounds during the 2016鈥�17 and 2021鈥�22 seasons, respectively. In 2017, Gobert was selected for the All-NBA Second Team, and in 2019, 2020, and 2021, he was selected for the All-NBA Third Team.

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3. Evan Fournier

Evan Fournier photo by Mogami Kariya –

French professional basketball player Evan Fournier plays for the NBA’s New York Knicks. From 2007 to 2009, he was a youth basketball player at the French INSEP academy. Fournier was acquired by the New York Knicks in a sign-and-trade with the Celtics on August 17, 2021.

On October 20, Fournier made his Knicks debut, scoring 32 points, tying a career-best, in a 138-134 victory over the Boston Celtics in double overtime. Fournier exceeded that mark on January 6, 2022, scoring 41 points in a 108-105 victory over the Celtics on the strength of ten three-pointers and eight rebounds. He broke the Knicks record for 3-pointers made in a season on March 23 against the Charlotte Hornets, topping John Starks’ mark from 1995 (217).

4. Michel Bonnevie

Michel Bonnevie was a professional basketball player from France who took part in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was on the Silver medal-winning French National basketball team.

5. Nicolas Batum

Nicolas Batum at Eurobasket 2011. photo by Christopher Johnson –

French professional basketball player Nicolas Batum plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. In addition, he competes for France and won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Batum started as a centre on the basketball team. As one of the NBA’s top chase-down block practitioners, Batum is recognized as a defensive player with exceptional talent. 

Batum is famously known for the chase-down block which is a fundamental element of Batum’s game and was a skill that brought him to the NBA. Only Josh Smith and Kevin Durant recorded more blocks than Batum by the end of March 2013 among players who did not play centre or power forward in the 2012鈥�13 campaign.

6. Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah photo by Keith Allison –

Joakim Noah played basketball professionally for thirteen years, from 2007 to 2020. Noah, born in New York, played basketball in college for the Florida Gators, who won back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. He was also a part of the French national team. From 1988 to 1998, Noah resided in 麻豆APP, France, before moving back to New York City when he was thirteen.

He participated in youth basketball with the 麻豆APP-based French club Levallois Sports Club. Noah was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the ninth overall choice in the 2007 NBA Draft. Noah is a two-time NBA All-Star and was selected for the All-NBA First Team in 2014, the same year he won NBA Defensive Player of the Year honours.

7. Boris Diaw 

Boris Diaw playing for France photo by jan fante –

Boris Diaw is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw spent 14 seasons in the NBA before continuing his playing career in Pro A. He primarily played as a power forward. As a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2006, Diaw was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. In 2014, he was an instrumental part of the San Antonio Spurs captured the NBA championship. Diaw served as the senior French national team’s captain.

He won a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup in 2014, a EuroBasket championship in 2013, a silver medal at the EuroBasket 2011, and two bronzes at the EuroBasket in 2005 and EuroBasket in 2015. In 2005, he was chosen for the All-EuroBasket Team. Diaw has been the president of Metropolitans 92 since July 2019.

8. Nando de Colo

Nando de Colo photo by Sakhalinio –

French basketball player Nando de Colo plays for ASVEL in the EuroLeague and the French LNB Pro A. He plays the point guard and shooting guard positions. De Colo, a six-time All-EuroLeague selection, won the EuroLeague championship with CSKA Moscow in 2016 and 2019 and was also named MVP of the Final Four. De Colo surpassed Nikos Galis in 2022 to become the all-time leading scorer in basketball continental European competitions.

9. Antoine Rigaudeau

Former professional basketball player and current basketball coach Antoine Rigaudeau hail from France. He was a point guard, shooting guard, and small forward during his playing career.

During his playing career, he was known as “Le Roi” (“The King”) because of his prowess on the court. He won two EuroLeague titles throughout his professional club career in 1998 and 2001. He captured the silver medal at the 2000 Olympics for France’s national team. In 2010, he was admitted to the French Basketball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

10. Killian Hayes

Killian Hayes photo by All-Pro Reels –

Killian Hayes is a French-American professional basketball player who competes professionally as a point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. Hayes excelled at the youth level while playing for the French club Cholet at a young age. At the age of 16, he made his senior squad debut for Cholet, and the following season, he saw regular playing time. He relocated to Germany in 2019鈥�20 to play for Ulm. With France, Hayes won the gold medal and the FIBA U16 European Championship’s most valuable player award. He guided his team to win a silver medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup.

11. Fr茅d茅ric Weis

Fr茅d茅ric Weis photo by sourced from

Fr茅d茅ric Weis is a French former professional basketball player. He was selected by the New York Knicks with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the NBA Draft in 1999, but he never signed a contract with them and never participated in an NBA game. Weis played for Unicaja M谩laga and Irbentia Bilbao in the Spanish ACB League, PAOK Thessaloniki in the Greek League, and Limoges in the French League throughout his professional career.

He was released by Iurbentia Bilbao on January 28 after missing three straight games due to illness, and on February 13 he signed with Vive Menorca. With the senior France national basketball team, Weis captured the silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He participated in the 1999 EuroBasket, 2001 EuroBasket, 2005 EuroBasket, and 2007 EuroBasket with the French national team.

Weis led his national team  to clinch the bronze medal in the 2005 EuroBasket. He also participated in the 2006 FIBA World Championship with France’s national squad. He announced his retirement in March 2011.

12. Thomas Heurtel

Thomas Heurtel 13 FC Barcelona B脿squet photo by Sakhalinio –

French basketball player Thomas Heurtel competes for Zenit Saint Petersburg in the VTB United League. He is a point guard and stands 6 feet 2+1鈦�2 inches tall. Heurtel participated in the 2008 and 2009 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championships with the French under-20 national team, where he won a silver medal.

He has also played basketball for the senior men’s national team of France. He competed for France in the 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2013 EuroBasket, where he won a gold medal, and the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he took home a bronze medal.

13. Sekou Doumbouya

Sekou Doumbouya photo by All-Pro Reels –

French basketball player Sekou Doumbouya plays for the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League. He can play both small forward and power forward. Doumbouya who was born in Conakry, Guinea but grew up in 麻豆APP, France, started his professional career at the age of 13 with the neighbourhood club CJF Les Aubrais. The next year, he played for the amateur team Centre F茅d茅ral while attending INSEP.

In 2016, he began his professional career when he joined Poitiers Basket 86 in France’s second-tier league. He played for the squad for two seasons. When Doumbouya joined Limoges CSP in 2018, he was promoted to the first division. He was chosen by the Pistons with the fifteenth pick in the 2019 NBA draft after one season. He was the NBA’s youngest player in action during his rookie season. Doumbouya represents the France national team’s youth divisions. At the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, he was France’s top scorer and contributed to the country’s gold-medal victory.

14. Tariq Abdul-Wahad

Tariq Abdul-Wahad photo by User:Poppy –

Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a French basketball coach and former player. He competed in collegiate basketball then known as Olivier Saint-Jean at Michigan and San Jose State. Saint-Jean was chosen by the Sacramento Kings as the 11th overall choice in the first round of the NBA Draft in 1997. After being selected, Saint-Jean converted to Islam and changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad.

Abdul-Wahad participated in the NBA from 1997 to 2003 for the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Kings. He was the first NBA player to have been raised in France. At the 1992 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, he starred for the France men’s national under-18 basketball team where his team won gold.

15. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Shooting s Free throw photo sourced from

Timoth茅 Luwawu-Cabarrot is a French professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague since 2022. The Philadelphia 76ers selected him with the 24th overall choice in the 2016 NBA Draft. In both the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship and the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, Luwawu-Cabarrot starred for the junior French national basketball teams.

He averaged 11.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while assisting France to a semifinal appearance in 2015. The French basketball squad that placed second at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics included Luwawu-Cabarrot. He scored 11 points in a losing effort against the US men’s basketball team in the final game, winning a silver medal.

16. Ronny Turiaf

Ronny Turiaf with the France national basketball team. photo by Carlos Delgado –

Ronny Turiaf is a retired professional basketball player who played for 10 seasons in the NBA from 2005 to 2014. Turiaf was a French native who moved to the United States to play collegiate basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. During his senior season, he was the WCC’s top scorer.

His entry into the 2005 NBA draft led to the Los Angeles Lakers selecting him after he graduated from Gonzaga. Afterwards, he had stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, and Golden State Warriors. With Miami in 2012, Turiaf captured an NBA title. He also represented the French National in an international competition.

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17. Th茅o Maledon

Theo Maledon Benoit Mangin photo by Yannick – L’oeil du nord –

Th茅o Maledon is a French-born professional basketball player who now maintains a two-way deal and plays point guard for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League and for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA. Before joining the ASVEL youth ranks at age 16, Maledon played youth basketball for the French sports institute INSEP.

He received the LNB Pro A Best Young Player honour the following year at the senior level and went on to become the youngest LNB All-Star in history. He was voted French Cup Final MVP and contributed to ASVEL’s victories in Pro A and the French Cup. Maledon achieved success at the youth international level by helping France win gold at the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship and silver in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup. He has also starred for the senior national team.

18. Ian Mahinmi

Ian Mahinmi photo by Mogami Kariya –

Ian Mahinmi is a French former professional basketball player. Standing at 6’11” and 250 lb, he played the centre position and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the 28th overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He finished his career with 3,209 points averaging 5.2 ppg, 2,705 Rebounds with 4.4 RPG and 443 Blocks averaging .7 bpg.

19. Ousmane Dieng

French professional basketball player Ousmane Dieng plays for the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue. He plays as a forward and is 6 feet 10 inches tall. Dieng was selected by the New York Knicks as the number eleven choice overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was then dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder right away in exchange for three first-round picks in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft. On February 6, 2023, he was reassigned to the NBA G League.

At the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship in Italy, Dieng represented France. His squad won the silver medal thanks to his 8.9 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game average.

20. Frank Ntilikina

Frank Ntilikina photo by Frenchie in portland –

French professional basketball player Frank Ntilikina plays for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Ntilikina was born in Belgium and raised in Strasbourg, France. The New York Knicks selected him as the eighth overall choice in the 2017 NBA Draft. He plays the point guard position and is 6 feet 4 inches tall. In helping the Under-16 French Junior National Team win the 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Ntilikina averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and one steal per game.

He scored 31 points, including 7-for-10 from three-point range, in the championship game against the Under-18 Lithuanian squad to assist France’s Under-18 national team win the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. At the tournament, he scored 50 per cent of his field goal attempts, including 58.6 per cent of his long-range efforts, inching closer to winning Most Valuable Player honours.

He also averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. In September 2015, Ntilikina contributed 13 points, four rebounds, a game-high eight assists, and more at the FIBA European Under-18 All-Star Game. The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup bronze medal for France was made possible as Ntilikina was a key contributor to the bronze-winning French team at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

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