20.05.2011
EuroBasket 2011
France veteran Ronny Turiaf is gearing up for his third consecutive and fourth in his career EuroBasket
Joakim Noah, Tony Parker and Nicolas Batum are three of the big names in the 24-strong France preliminary squad for the EuroBasket.
San Antonio Spurs playmaker Parker, who skipped last summer's FIBA World Championship to rest for the season and EuroBasket 2011, has stated his eagerness to wear the French shirt again.
Noah, who has yet to represent Les Bleus at a senior competition, is in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals with the Chicago Bulls and has expressed his desire to play at the EuroBasket as well.
Called by many the missing link to a French team that needs a long, athletic center to reach the podium and possibly challenge for the gold medal, the 25-year-old son of former French Open tennis champion Yannick Noah has averaged 11.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in the play-offs for the Bulls.
Batum is a tough defending forward with the Portland Trail Blazers who has played for France the past two summers.
The 22-year-old averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Blazers in 2010-11.
French preliminary squad: Andrew Albicy, Nicolas Batum, Rodrigue Beaubois, Yannick Bokolo, Fabien Causeur, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Antoine Diot, Ilian Evtimov, Evan Fournier, Mickaël Gelabale, Charles Lombahe-Kahudi, Ian Mahinmi, Abdoulaye M'Baye, Joakim Noah, Tony Parker, Florent Pietrus, Mickaël Pietrus, Kévin Seraphin, Steed Tchicamboud, Kim Tillie, Ali Traore, Ronny Turiaf and Luc-Arthur Vebobe.