During halftime of the France vs. US men’s basketball final, CNN had the opportunity to speak with French basketball legend Tony Parker. Parker, a four-time NBA champion and former captain of the French national team, expressed his excitement about the highly anticipated match, calling it the 'dream final.' He highlighted the current strength of French basketball, noting that the country had produced the last two 1st overall picks in the NBA Draft.
Parker shared his insights on who each team would rely on in the final moments of a close game. For Team France, he pointed to Victor Wembanyama, the reigning NBA rookie of the year, as the player they would want to have the ball. In contrast, for Team USA, Parker humorously suggested LeBron James as the top choice, citing his ability to either score or make crucial passes to star teammates like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
Prior to the Olympic Games, Airbnb, a global partner of the event, launched a program that offered 1,600 free seats for fans to attend various competitions through its platform. This initiative allowed spectators to watch the games alongside 24 different star athletes from different sports. Tonight, Tony Parker is participating in the program at the men’s basketball gold medal game, adding to the excitement of the event.