Dongguan (China) (AFP)
The exploits of Laurent Sciarra, Stéphane Risacher and Antoine Rigaudeau to relaunch the suspense, but finish on an honorable defeat (85-75): the final of the Sydney 2000 Olympics is to this day the most memorable memory of the Blues against the stars American NBA.
In 2000, when social networks did not exist yet, the image had been circumnavigated: on September 25, for the last match of the group phase of the Olympics in Sydney, the Americans had spent more 100 points to the French (106-94), known for their defense.
It was in this game without a stake - French and Americans had already validated the ticket for the quarterfinals - that the back of the Toronto Raptors Vince Carter, already "All Star" at 23, flew over the 2.16 meters from Fred Weis for the "dunk of the century".
Frenchman LauAvec in their ranks Ray Allen of Milwaukee Bucks, Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves or Vince Carter, the Americans should in theory make a mouthful of the players of Jean-Pierre Vincenzi.
The Blues had already managed their competition with this second medal under the Rings after the money of 1948 in London, thanks to a huge exploit in the semi-final against Australia (76-52), two days after a first performance against the Canada Steve Nash, leader of the Dallas Mavericks (68-63).
Six days later, in the final, after a first period logically dominated by the Americans (46-32) and a gap that stabilizes at 14 points in the middle of the second period (at the time no quarter-time but half -time), a wind of madness crosses the Sydney Super Dome.
On prize-winning shots from Laurent Sciarra, Stéphane Risacher and Antoine Rigaudeau, the score went in minutes from 72-58 to 76-72, with a clock that still has a little over four minutes to play. The monumental feat seems at hand against Americans already half abused by Lithuania (85-83).
But the NBA steamroller (of the 12 US players present in Sydney, ten had already played at least one All-Star-Game) then starts to finally win 10 points, 85-75.
© 2019 AFP