Nearly a quarter-century ago, France knocked off a Steve Nash-led Canada squad in the quarterfinal round of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The French went on to earn a silver medal after putting up a respectable fight against Team USA in the gold medal game.
The Canadians, meanwhile, never got a chance at redemption — they didn’t qualify for men’s 5×5 basketball again until the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now, the NBA-laden squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to secure a medal with a win over the future of basketball, Victor Wembanyama, when the two NBA superstars take center stage in the quarterfinal round matchup between Canada and France on Tuesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander guided the Canadians to a perfect 3-0 record in Group A play, as the All-NBA guard averaged 19.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in victories over Greece, Australia and Spain. RJ Barrett leads the team in scoring at 21.0 points to go with 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Former Gonzaga men’s basketball guard Andrew Nembhard had a big role in the group finale against Spain, as the 6-foot-5 guard had 18 points and shot 8-of-10 from the field in a narrow 88-85 win over the veteran Spaniards. Nembhard averaged 8.3 points and shot 58.8% from the floor in group play. Former Zag and Canada’s co-captain Kelly Olynyk also had a role as a reserve off the bench.
France shook off a shaky exhibition tour to advance to the knockout stage with a 2-1 record in Group B play, with its only loss coming to reigning FIBA World Cup champion Germany. Even so, nothing has been easy for the host country. France trailed Brazil early in its opener and almost suffered a monumental upset to Japan. A miraculous 4-point play in the final seconds of regulation forced overtime and eventually led to a 94-90 win over Rui Hachimura and company.
Wembanyama has been the catalyst for the French, as the 7-foot-4 NBA Rookie of the Year leads the French in points (17.0 per game), rebounds (10.7), assists (3.0) and steals (2.7). Four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert is locking down the paint (2.7 blocks per game) while Nicolas Batum (10.7 points) and Evan Fournier (10.3 points) provide some scoring from the perimeter.
Canada won both the previous matchups by double-digit margins, most recently an 85-73 decision in an exhibition game back on July 19.
The winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal faces the winner of Germany-Greece on Wednesday.
What: Canada and France meet in the quarterfinal round of men’s Olympic basketball
When: Noon ET/9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, Aug. 6
Where: Bercy Arena | Paris, France
Live stream: Watch the 2024 Olympics live on Peacock
Betting odds per SI Sportsbook: Canada -7.5 (-118); O/U 163.5 (-110)
Team Canada:
* Nickeil Alexander-Walker
* RJ Barrett
* Khem Birch
* Dillon Brooks
* Luguentz Dort
* Melvin Ejim
* Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
* Trey Lyles
* Jamal Murray
* Andrew Nembhard
* Kelly Olynyk
* Dwight Powell
Team France:
* Frank Ntilikina
* Nicolas Tatum
* Andrew Albicy
* Guerschon Yabusele
* Isaia Cordinier
* Evan Fournier
* Nando de Colo
* Mathias Lessort
* Rudy Gobert
* Victor Wembanyama
* Matthew Strazel
* Bilal Coulibaly
