After France’s shocking World Cup exit, Nicolas Batum says he’s ‘ashamed’ and ‘scared to go home’

France entered the 2023 FIBA World Cup ranked 5th on the earth, and used to be anticipated to compete for a place within the medal podium. Instead, after a surprising defeat to Latvia on Sunday, the European powerhouse has been eradicated after simply two video games, and is assured its worst-ever end within the pageant. 

Los Angeles Clippers ahead Nicolas Batum, a veteran of the French nationwide workforce, summed up the discontentment in his postgame press convention. 

“I’ve never been ashamed with this jersey but this is the first time I’m ashamed,” Batum stated. “I’m scared to go home because we let a lot of people down. A lot of people believed in us to do something special. We didn’t do it.”

Over the previous few years, the French had established themselves as some of the constant nationwide groups on the earth. They gained silver on the 2022 EuroBasket match, got here inside of a couple of possessions of frightening Team USA within the gold medal sport on the Tokyo Olympics and earned bronze on the 2019 World Cup. No different nation had medals in each the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympics.

While there have been a couple of key lacking items this summer time, together with Thomas Heurtel — suspended from the nationwide workforce for a yr for signing with a Russian membership — and younger phenom Victor Wembanyama, the vast majority of their core used to be in motion: Batum, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nando de Colo and Guerschon Yabusele. But they may no longer produce the important effects. 

They have been embarrassed by means of Canada of their opening fit, shedding by means of 30 issues after turning the ball over 17 occasions and taking pictures 41.7% from the sector. And whilst it seemed they’d jump again towards Latvia, they collapsed within the fourth quarter, blowing a 13-point second-half lead to a workforce taking part in with out its absolute best participant in Kristaps Porzingis. Their ultimate sport towards Lebanon can be instructional, as they may be able to now not end within the top-two of their team. 

This appearing has put much more power at the 2024 Olympics, which they’re going to host in Paris. Ahead of subsequent summer time, Batum has known as for everybody to glance inwards at this failure and get at the identical web page. 

“It’s a big disappointment, that’s for sure, we broke down mentally, physically, they were very strong, we weren’t together,” Batum stated. “We cannot take them away. This match characterizes what has happened for five or six weeks. We are a very good team, we have shown that for several years. Everyone must question themselves after what happened this summer: coaches, players, Federation, up there. That we deprive ourselves of certain players that we lose players because of certain conditions. Everyone needs to be committed.”