Nando De Colo plans to return to France NT, urges Joel Embiid to make a decision / News - Basketnews.com

Nando De Colo reveals he plans to play for France in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and Paris Olympics in 2024, adding that Joel Embiid must decide which country he wants to represent.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

French basketball hero Nando De Colo is excited about a hopeful return to the national team with the FIBA Basketball World Cup just four months away.

One of his country's most important players for more than a decade, the top scorer in European club Competitions history, De Colo took a break from international basketball by missing EuroBasket 2022 after leading his country to the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

"I needed to spend time with my family and then to see something else," De Colo said to Betlic Elite's Le Rebond.

But now he hopes to be back and is more ambitious than ever.

"It is always a pleasure, and today, yeah, the fact of being able to be with the French team in the summer of 2023 and 2024 is quite an objective, and then to get the best result, that is to say, to be world champion," De Colo continued.

When the time comes, De Colo will be a leader on this team. At the2019 World Cup, he averaged 16.5 points per game and helped Le Bleus reach the podium. In the Third-Place Game triumph over Australia, he had 19 points.

While spending this season playing for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the French top flight, De Colo was able to observe the rise of Victor Wembanyama, the 19-year-old Boulogne-Levallois star who is expected to be the first pick in this summer's NBA Draft.

Wembanyama played in four World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers games, averaging 19.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. French fans are hopeful the 2.21M (7'3") big man will be with the team at the World Cup, which tips off on August 25 in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.

"He seems to be a rather serene guy with a head on his shoulders," De Colo said. "I think I'll have more of a chance to know him this summer if he comes with us (to the World Cup)."

De Colo was encouraged not just by Wembanyama's participation in the European Qualifiersbut by numerous players that look to have bright futures with the national team.

"It's cool we could see during the windows that there are super motivated guys there to represent the [national team] colors, even if it's only for short periods, and that's what's important," he said.

There has been speculation that Joel Embiid, a leading contender for the NBA's MVP award, could play for France after being granted citizenship and receiving a passport.

The Philadelphia 76ers star was also recently granted US citizenship.

There has been no comment from Embiid regarding international basketball or the World Cup.

"At some point, you have to be motivated, and then you have to make choices," De Colo said. "I have the impression that it's starting to take a little too much time, getting the French passport and then the American. He (must) make a choice."

France has so much depth that they will have a strong frontcourt no matter who shows up.

"We have more and more big guys who are in the team, so it's going to be interesting to see all that we can achieve first in attack, but also defensively," De Colo said. "That's where it's going to be interesting to see what Vincent [Collet] and us can put in place."

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