A morning obligation not really to Evan Fournier’s taste. The back of the French basketball team complained on social networks, early this Saturday, about having undergone a doping control a few minutes before 6 a.m., during a visibly busy training period.
“A drug test today at 5:55 a.m., during the toughest week of training camp. Show more respect to your athletes,” he asked FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, on his X account (formerly Twitter).
The Frenchman, who also finds himself free after the Detroit Pistons’ decision not to activate an optional contract season, is part of the extended group of the French team assembled for the preparation of the Paris Olympic Games.
Arriving at INSEP on June 17 with several of his teammates, he is notably accompanied by Victor Wembanyama. The rookie was able to really begin his preparation this Friday, June 28, he who was until now blocked by the agreements between FIBA and the NBA which prohibit American League players from starting opposition training more than 28 days before the start of a tournament.
Now reduced to 17 players after the departures of leader Killian Hayes and winger Ousmane Dienget, not retained by Vincent Collet, the group will continue their preparation in Rouen from July 1. The France team will face Turkey on July 3 in Rouen for a first preparation match. Collet must reduce his list to 12 names before the start of the Olympics (July 26-August 11).
