12 years ago, France’s national team reached the top of Europe

September 22, 2013 will remain engraved in the memory of French basketball fans. On that day, the French men’s team won their first, and still only, European championship title by beating Lithuania (80-66) in the EuroBasket final in Ljubljana, Slovenia. After several golden generations without consecration, Vincent Collet’s team finally claimed gold, following a tournament marked by a historic semi-final against Spain and a perfectly controlled final.

The masterpiece against Lithuania

Led by an aggressive Nicolas Batum and Florent Pietrus’s defense on Linas Kleiza, France took control from the second quarter. An 18-3 run, concluded by Antoine Diot’s buzzer-beater, allowed the French team to lead by 16 points at halftime (50-34). Boris Diaw then took over on offense, while Tony Parker, exhausted but decisive in crunch time, maintained the lead before winning the tournament’s MVP title.

With a complete team effort – all players who entered the game contributed – France dominated the game. Batum finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds, Parker with 12 points, while Johan Petro and Alexis Ajinça made their presence felt in the paint. On the other side, Lithuania could never come back despite Kleiza’s efforts (20 points).

A generation’s dream finally accomplished

For Tony Parker, Florent Pietrus, Boris Diaw, Mickaël Gelabale, Nicolas Batum, and Nando De Colo, this triumph represented the culmination of years of frustration. « I had dreamed that we could do it, » coach Vincent Collet confided after the game. At the final buzzer, tears, songs, and the Marseillaise sung in unison symbolized the immense emotion of this first gold medal.

This title remains unique in French men’s basketball history, despite three other lost finals since then (Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and 2024, EuroBasket 2022). Twelve years later, the memory of Ljubljana remains an absolute pinnacle of French sports.