Controversial last basket, Francisco’s apology, Prepelic’s criticism, Hifi ejected: tense end to France-Slovenia game
August 30, 2025
Alexandre Lacoste
Draymond Green slams Sylvain Francisco: « That’s why it was important to beat France in Paris »
EuroBasket - After France's victory over Slovenia (103-95) at EuroBasket 2025 on Saturday, Draymond Green defended Slovenia... while taking a clear shot at Sylvain Francisco and particularly at the French.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié / © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Sylvain Francisco (6’1″, 27) made headlines during the France – Slovenia EuroBasket 2025 game on Saturday in Katowice. After a spectacular duel, won by France (103-95), one sequence particularly caught attention: after the Slovenian and the French point guard embraced in a gesture of respect at the end of the game, Francisco then went to score an easy layup, triggering a buzz on social media.
A viral sequence that gets Draymond Green’s attention
The clip quickly circulated online and Draymond Green didn’t take long to react. The Golden State Warriors player, very active on Threads, commented: « That’s why it was important to beat France in Paris! Go USA ». A direct reference to the Paris 2024 Olympic final, where Team USA had prevailed over Victor Wembanyama’s France (98-87). Draymond Green is known for going after French players, regularly targeting Rudy Gobert in the NBA.
Francisco targeted despite his outstanding performance
Ironically, this criticism comes when Sylvain Francisco had arguably his best performance in a France jersey. The point guard finished the game with 32 points, becoming the 9th French player to score over 30 points in a EuroBasket game. But it’s his gesture after the handshake with Doncic that sparked debates, including overseas. « Sylvain made a good move by scoring that basket, because you never know what might happen, » his teammate Bilal Coulibaly reminded on Monday, after the heavy loss against Israel.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
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