Interview Elie Okobo, the maestro of France vs Poland: « I’m happy to have contributed to this win in this way »

After a frustrating start to the tournament, Elie Okobo (1.91m, 27 years old) delivered his most complete performance with France on Tuesday evening in Poland. As both playmaker and decisive scorer, he turned in a near-perfect performance (18 points, 10 assists, only 1 turnover) in the French team’s victory (83-76). Defensively, he contained his Monaco teammate Jordan Loyd, while perfectly feeding Guerschon Yabusele, who scored a historic 36 points. Speaking to the press, the combo guard discussed the team’s performance and his own responsibilities.

After Sunday’s loss to Israel, you were expecting a reaction. How do you assess the team’s response tonight against Poland?

« I’m satisfied with the team and what we showed tonight. We brought much more intensity. Beating a team at home in a moment like this is always satisfying. We’re now preparing for Iceland and I hope we can build on this. We stayed united, communicating well throughout the game. Sometimes there were small mistakes, lack of focus and maturity. But overall, I’m happy. »

When you mention lack of focus, are you thinking of specific moments when Poland came back or even took the lead?

« In the first period, but also some moments in the second half. We were up 10-12 points, I believe. That was the moment to kill the game, with 4-5 minutes left. We turned the ball over, lacked communication on defense. It gave them open shots or and-one baskets. That’s not what we want if we’re aiming for something. »

You also mentioned Guerschon Yabusele’s game, who scored 36 points.

« He told us he wanted to be a bit more selfish and he ended up with 36 points. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t a selfish game. He was open, took good shots, was aggressive and defensively, he was brilliant too. We need him to play at this level. I’m happy for him that he had this exceptional game. […] He was very, very, very efficient. He was more in his element today. He had open 3-point shots, was aggressive from the start. Defensively, it also gave him confidence. I’m really happy for him. He showed them what he’s capable of. He was the leader of this team today. I hope he’ll continue. »

You finished with 18 points and 10 assists, tying the French national team record at EuroBasket. We saw you play more point guard than usual. How do you analyze your performance?

« The last turnover was very ugly. But otherwise, taking control, playing with confidence… I play both 1 and 2 at Monaco too. Just gaining confidence, I have experience. I can recognize situations on the court. I was able to find Guerschon, and the big men too. I’m happy to have contributed to this win in this way. »

You faced Jordan Loyd, your Monaco teammate, and contained him well. How did you approach this matchup? Did you trash talk?

« Of course, we trash talk every day at practice in Monaco. We trash talked today too. I know him inside out. I tried to make things difficult for him. Even though he still scored 18 points, I think they were harder 18 points than his usual 28 or 32. I’m really happy for him that he’s enjoying this Euro. »

At the end of the game, you hit some crucial shots. What gave you that confidence in key moments?

« I was just talking about it: I lose the ball, then get blocked on a layup at the end of a possession. But I still felt confident taking those shots. I see him backing up a bit. That step-back, I’ve been working on it since I was young. I took it with confidence, it went in. I’m happy, but collectively, we did very good work across the court. »

Elie Okobo ties @FRABasketball’s EuroBasket assist record with 10, previously held by Laurent Sciarra, Thomas Heurtel and Tony Parker

Point differential was discussed before the game. Was this still on your mind during Poland’s last timeout, up 7, knowing that an 8-point win could secure second place in case of a three-way tie with Israel and Poland?

« We didn’t talk about it during the timeout. But we had discussed it before the game. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. But the most important thing was the victory. Now we’ll focus on Iceland. »

Jaylen Hoard and others had a big impact on offensive rebounds. Is this an important key for you?

« Jaylen, the big men, even the guards. We get a lot of offensive rebounds. Every shot, we all crash the paint to push them back, to prevent fast breaks. And we have athletes. So that helps. It gives us second chances. Then we can restart the offense. And I think it gets in the opponents’ heads a bit. »

How will you approach the next game against Iceland mentally, knowing they’ve challenged several teams before you? Aren’t you worried about letting up?

« That’s the trap. I think we’ve learned from Belgium, Slovenia, Israel. And I hope, but I don’t think we’ll make the same mistake. Plus, it’s not a back-to-back, we have a day to rest. Some played a lot, others less. We’ll have two days to bring energy. Now, whenever we have the opportunity, we need to kill the opponent and not give them hope. »

In Katowice,